ocean anemone are cnidarians ( same phylum as jellyfish and coral ) that have been traditionally categorize in the orderliness Actiniaria , which has 46 families total over 1,200 species . researcher performing genetic analysis on ocean anemone for the determination of create a detailed phyletic tree have let out that at least one species was categorized so incorrectly , it guarantee the instauration of a new order . The details of the the inquiry were published inPLOS ONEby jumper lead author Estefanía Rodríguez of the American Museum of Natural History .
Before deoxyribonucleic acid sequence was useable , species were categorized based on morphologic features . For some organism , like sea anemones , this presented certain challenge . " Anemones are very simple animals , " Rodríguez pronounce in apress freeing . " Because of this , they are grouped together by their lack of fiber — for example , the absence seizure of a skeleton or the lack of dependency - building , like you see in coral . So it was n’t a immense surprisal when we commence to look at their molecular data and line up that the traditional classifications of windflower were improper . "
After analyzing the genomes of only 112 species and comparing it to physical lineament , there was plenty of information to shake up the ocean windflower ’s tree of living . There had previously been four suborder , but now only two remain . Perhaps one of the bragging surprises is that one well cognise species was n’t even a sea sea anemone at all .
The organism , previously cognise asBoloceroides daphneae , was believed to be one of the largest sea anemone live , as it had tentacle - like construction exceeding 2 meters ( 6 foot ) in length . It was notice near hydrothermal deep in the Pacific Ocean vents just recently in 2006 . The transmissible analysis has divulge that this animate being is not a ocean anemone at all . To properly relegate it , a unexampled order , kinsfolk , and genus name had to be created . The species is now bring up to asRelicanthus daphneae , and is presently the sole appendage of the order , though investigator ask other members will be tot up with further research .
The prominent visual aspect ofR. daphneaeto ocean anemones is due to convergent development . “ Even though this fauna look very much like a sea anemone , it is not one , ” Rodríguez explained in thepress release . “ Both groups of animals miss the same characters , but our research show that while the anemone lost those quality over millions of years of evolution , R. daphneaenever had them . place these animals in the same group would be like classify worms and snakes together because neither have branch . ”
Image credit : lfremer , viaCC BY - NC 3.0
