Desmodorella verscheldei
Desmodorella verscheldei. Image credit: Daniel Leduc, NIWA
The nematode worm species Desmodorella verscheldei was recently discovered from a central Wellington beach in the suburb of Hataitai.
This species, along with several other newly discovered species from the same beach, had never been noticed before because of their small size; nematodes typically measure about only one millimetre in length.
These small but common animals live between the sand grains and feed on organic matter and detritus, and happily get on with their lives without disturbing the people enjoying the beach above them. Many other similar species are likely to be found at New Zealand’s beaches as more research is conducted.