A temnocephalan symbiote from the gills of the Queensland Redclaw crayfish.

Worms & Echinoderms

Dr Mal Bryant

Section

We collect and study worms; not just earthworms or beachworms, but all the great variety of worms (some 20 higher groups or phyla) that can be found in freshwater, terrestrial or marine environments. Our special interests, however, lie with the parasites. To help researchers in medicine, agriculture, fisheries, veterinary science and wildlife biology we have developed ASPIC (Australian Society for Parasitology Information on Collections)— a national database of parasitic worms. We also look after sea stars, sea urchins and other echinoderms.

Our current work

Our current research involves turbellarian flatworms (the mainly free-living relatives of tapeworms and flukes) and includes studies on:

1. temnocephalans that live on the surface of freshwater crayfish and
2. polyclads which are the large and colourful flatworms found on coral reefs,
3. about to begin a study of tiny interstitial worms that live in sands and sediments.

   We are also studying gordian worms, the parasites of insects which sometimes find their way into swimming pools and dogs' bowls.

   Significance

   Worms are everywhere, often small, and not easily distinguished. Apart from their intrinsic interest as early, simple life forms, they can be of great importance to the normal health of soil and sediments, or, as parasites, the health and well being of crops, stock, wildlife and even us. Understanding the worms and knowing how to distinguish them can contribute enormously to the well being of the planet and us.

   Guide to the collections

   ASPIC (Australian Society for Parasitology Information on Collections) has been developed with the aid of all the Museums in Australia to give information on the parasitic worms (helminths) and their hosts (including plants) found in Australia. We also have siginificant collections of free-living worms - Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annnelida and several other minor phyla. Our collections of echinoderms include predominantly those of the Great Barrier Reef.

   FAQ

   Q: There is a worm like a piece of wire coiling and uncoiling in the swimming pool. Will it hurt me?
   A: No. This is a gordian worm, a parasite of insects. When mature it leaves its host and swims in water to find a mate.

   Q: Can I breed mud worms? They are great bait, but so expensive.
   A: Not easily. Unlike earthworms that breed directly in organic wastes, mud worms (polychaetes) develop through free floating (planktonic)larval stages in the sea and recreating these conditions is almost impossible. There is current research on some worms with a very short planktonic stage. For these articifial breeding may become a reality.

   Q: My tank water has tiny white worms in it. Are they harmful and how do I get rid of them?
   A: These are a type of sludge worm, aquatic relatives of earthworms, that breed in high organic sludge and feed on the bacteria there which helps to keep the water clean. Sometimes they are pink and filled with haemglobin, the same red pigment we have in our red blod cells. This helps them to breath in the decomposing sludge where oxygen is scarce. They are of more benefit than harm.

   Q: After all this rain, I have these slimy black worms on the garden path. What are they and will they harm the dog?
   A: These worms are terrestrial flatworms (triclads). There are many species with different colours. They feed on soil invertebrates and some attack earthworms in worms farms. They are not parasitic, but do produce copious slime which helps them keep moist and glide along. If dogs lick or eat the worms they find them distasteful and foam at the mouth.

   Q: What's the difference between a sea cucumber and a sea slug? and can you eat them?
   A: None and lots. Holothurians (Bęche-de-mer) are the elongate sausage-like relatives of sea stars some of which are used to make trepang - a prized delicacy in much of Asia. Not all holothurians are edible and make trepang, but the prized species can command high prices. Holothurians are called sea cucumbers and occasionally sea slugs, but sea slug usually refers to the snail-like molluscs called nudibranchs or sea hares.