Researchers have discovered a new species of marine worm hiding in the muddy banks of the Champa Estuary in the Bay of Bengal, marking the first time this rare group of creatures has ever been recorded in Indian waters.

The new species, officially named Paraleocrates indica, is a type of muddy bristle worm in the family Hesionidae, known for its colourful bodies and often symbiotic relationships with other sea life, such as starfish. This discovery is only the third known species within its specific genus worldwide.

The breakthrough was led by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, alongside colleagues from El Colehio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico. The team used simple hand shovels to sample the wet sediment of the intertidal mudflats during low tide. Between December 2023 and April 2024, the researchers braved the mangroves of West Bengal to collect four specimens that would eventually prove to be entirely new to science.

To the naked eye, the worm appears reddish and measures between 14 and 35 millimetres in length. However, under a microscope, its unique alien features become clear. The most striking characteristic of Paraleocrates indica is its eyes: its front pair of eyes is a staggering five times larger than the back pair. It also sports a pair of fang-shaped jaws, one on the top and one on the bottom, and a set of long, sensitive antennae that help it navigate its murky home.

The team distinguished the new species from its closest relatives P. djangkarensis and P. wesenberglundae in Indonesia and the Gulf of Oman, by its specific bristle count. It has significantly fewer bristles (called neurochaetae) per bundle and features unique single-pointed blades on its appendages that lack the protective guards found on other species.

The researchers chose the species name indica as a tribute to India, the country where the specimens were first discovered. 

This find is particularly significant for marine biology in the region, as no new species from this family had been discovered in Indian waters for 30 years. Researchers hope that the discovery will encourage more detailed studies of India's coastal benthic life, the organisms that live at the very bottom of the water, to better understand the health and biodiversity of the nation's estuaries.