This new arthropod, discovered 60 meters underground in an Australian mine, has more than 1,300 legs, making it the world’s first true species of millipede.
It’s the first real millipede
With its 1,306 legs, it has more than any other animal, and it belongs to a new species that has been named Eumillipes persephone. The name Persephone was chosen in honor of the Greek goddess of the underworld, who was also a supporter of the underground life.
The creature, apart from its characteristic number of feet, is quite small. It measures 0.95 mm wide and 95.7 mm long and is elongated, like a kind of thread with 330 segments, short legs and a cone-shaped head with antennae and a beak. And it has no pigmentation or eyes; Most likely, the eyes were abandoned somewhere along their evolutionary paths when they became irrelevant in total darkness. Their discovery has been published in the journal Scientific Reports .
“ Eumillipes persephone is Australia’s first known super-elongated millipede, and the new world record holder for the animal with the largest number of legs. It belongs to the family Siphonotidae (order Polyzoniida), but it seems similar to the super-elongated millipedes of the order Siphonophorida ”, comment the authors.
The findings highlight the biodiversity found within the Eastern Goldfields province. To minimize the impact of mining in this region on the newly discovered species, scientists advise that efforts be made to conserve its underground habitat.
Referencia: P.E. Marek et al. 2021. The first true millipede — 1306 legs long. Sci Rep 11, 23126; doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-02447-
