''Wulguru cuspidata'' is a microscopic acoel species that lives in the sandy beaches of northern Queensland (Australia). It is the second species of Australian free-living acoel to be described (the first is ''

Heterochaerus australis ''Heterochaerus'' is a genus of worms belonging to the family Convolutidae. The species of this genus are found in Australia and Central America. Species: *'' Heterochaerus australis'' *'' Heterochaerus blumi'' *'' Heterochaerus carvalhoi'' ...

''). Its generic name ''Wulguru'' is derived from

Wulgurukaba The Manbarra, otherwise known as the Wulgurukaba, are Aboriginal Australian people, and the traditional custodians of the Palm Islands, Magnetic Island, and an area of mainland Queensland to the west of Townsville. The Manbarra people were forci ...

, an Indigenous Australian people from Queensland, and the specific epithet is derived from (Latin: point, tip), alluding to the characteristic single pointed tail of this animal.

Characteristics

''Wulguru cuspidata'' individuals are colored green due to the presence of zoochlorellae of the order Chlamydomonadales. When hatched, juveniles of this species are colorless but they quickly turn green as

symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

microalgae enter their bodies. The body is less than 2 mm in length, oblong in shape, and with a distinct, pointed, nipple-like tail. The surface of the body is entirely covered with

cilia The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike projecti ...

, while along the body margins there are longer sensory cilia. The mouth is mid-ventral, although it is not known whether they are able to feed independently or gain nourishment solely from the symbiotic algae. Like many other acoel species, ''Wulguru cuspidata'' is a

hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrate ...

Ecology

''Wulguru cuspidata'' lives in

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

s of open sandy beaches in northern Queensland (Australia). Thousands, or even millions, of individuals aggregate in small, water-filled runnels created by waves. They are known to be able to tolerate extremes of temperature, high levels of sunlight, prolonged periods of shading (due to annual decomposition of seaweeds in the dry season), low oxygen levels, and cyanobacterial blooms.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2536399 Acoelomorphs Xenacoelomorpha