Three sea worm species that glow in the dark, newly discovered in Japan — one named after marine biologist Ikeguchi, and two others named after mythical yōkai (ようかい)

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1. Excerpt from the linked summary^1 about a *Royal Society* paper:

   >A research group from Nagoya University in central Japan has discovered three new species of bioluminescent polycirrus worms from different parts of Japan.

   >Usually found in shallow water, *Polycirrus* are small worms, known for their bioluminescence.

   >The researchers hope to use their findings to deepen their understanding of the molecular nature of bioluminescence, which could lead to the development of new technologies.

   >“The discovery that all three new species are luminescent has allowed us to link taxonomic and ecological findings and establish research that others can readily apply to the study of luminescent organisms,” said [research lead] Jimi.

   > 

   >As the researchers found the worms in Japan, they gave them Japanese names. They named two of the three species *Polycirrus onibi* and *Polycirrus aoandon* as a reference to their bluish-violet luminescence.

   >“We used the names of Japanese yokai, such as *onibi* and *aoandon*, for the new species because the hazy violet-blue bioluminescence emitted by the *Polycirrus* species is strikingly similar to the descriptions of these creatures found in folklore,” said Jimi.

   >“*Polycirrus ikeguchii*, on the other hand, was described from specimens collected in the Notojima region in Japan. As Shinichi Ikeguchi was the former director of Notojima Aquarium and helped to find the worm, it seemed appropriate to name it after him.”

   >In Japanese folklore, *onibi* (demon fire) describes a will-o’-the-wisp type of yokai, shaped like a small, floating ball of light, that is believed to lead travellers in mountains and forests astray.

   >Meanwhile, *aoandon* (blue lantern) is a ghost-like yokai that appears as a woman wearing a white kimono with horns and sharp teeth. It haunts lanterns found in Japanese homes by turning their light an unnatural blue color.

   ^1 Matthew Coslett, Nagoya University, 30 Mar. 2023, https://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/researchinfo/result-en/2023/03/20230330-01.html

   ^2 Naoto Jimi *et al*. Investigating the diversity of bioluminescent marine worm Polycirrus (Annelida), with description of three new species from the Western Pacific. *Royal Society Open Science* (29 March 2023). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230039.