Two ⁤of 2023’s top marine species were first introduced to the scientific community through the pages of our journal ZooKeys.

Where would we be without taxonomists? It’s a thought ‌we don’t even want to‌ entertain, especially ​since the​ number of experts in taxonomy is declining at an alarming rate, just like some of the threatened species they describe.

This Taxonomist Appreciation Day is a great opportunity to marvel at the amazing‌ species that biodiversity⁣ experts continue to discover and describe around the world. The ⁣ World Register of Marine Species ⁣ does just that by publishing a selection of the top 10 marine species published each year – and we are proud to share that two of 2023’s top marine species were first introduced to the scientific world through the pages‌ of ⁤our journal ZooKeys!

One of them is Tetranemertes bifrost, a stunning ribbon worm from the Caribbean whose description was published in ZooKeys.

Considered the most brightly colored ​nemertean in the Caribbean, if not ⁢the world, it has a long, thin, thread-like body ​that can​ stretch⁤ over 200⁤ mm in length. Its head has a characteristic, slim diamond or spearhead shape, vaguely resembling a viper’s head.

Its name refers to‍ the vibrant,⁣ colorful iridescent stripes and spots that adorn its body. Bifrost, the rainbow bridge in ​Norse mythology, connects ⁣Midgard, the human Earth, to Asgard,‍ the realm of the gods. Some authors‍ suggest that the name Bifrost means “shimmering path” or “the swaying road to heaven,” and that it may have been inspired by the Milky Way.

This benthic marine worm typically lives in coral rubble, gravel, and shell hash. It can often be found⁤ stretched​ between nooks and crannies of the substrate.

Discovered near⁣ Bocas del Toro, Panama, it is one ‍of the first records of this genus‍ in the Caribbean Sea.

In the 1970s, ‌some 50 years before it was scientifically described, Smithsonian photographer Kjell Sandved took a picture of it draped ‍over an⁣ unknown⁣ fan​ coral off Puerto Rico.

The second ZooKeys species featured in the selection is the whimsical Nautilus samoaensis.

Nautiloids were once abundant throughout the oceans, based on the fossil record. Today, they are represented by