Hong Kong biologist warns about dangers of reclamation after discovering new species of fireworm on city islet
- Team from Baptist University finds double spot fireworm Chloeia bimaculata
- Professor Qiu Jianwen says discovery highlights city’s rich biodiversity, and calls for more prudence in planning decisions
A new species of fireworm has been discovered on an outlying islet in Hong Kong by a team of biologists, becoming the 28th species of the creature found across the world.
“More work should be done in discovering and identifying [fireworm] species in Hong Kong,” said Professor Qiu Jianwen, who led a team of biologist from Baptist University, when announcing the findings on Tuesday.
“The government should also exercise more prudence in major development planning like reclamation. Otherwise, many species might become extinct before they are found,” he added, noting the discovery reflected the rich biodiversity of the city.
The newly discovered fireworm species will officially become the 28th found across the world – and the fourth in the past 100 years – when a report, jointly composed by Qiu and three of his students, is published in the scientific journal, Zoological Studies.
Qiu named the species Chloeia bimaculata, combining its genus Chloeia and the characteristics of its appearance.
“Bimaculata means two black spots in Latin,” the biologist said. “We gave it this name because each segment of their body has two dark spots arranged one behind the other.”
Each Chloe bimaculata, or the “double spot fireworm”, has some 30 segments in its spindle-shaped body with a length around 40mm, and a width between 7mm and 14mm.
Though a specimen was first found in a night diving survey off Sharp Island, Sai Kung in 2012, it was not until last year that Qiu’s team was driven to start their identifying work by a summer fireworm outbreak.
The team had to go through papers about past discoveries, and conduct genetic examination to make sure it had a unique sequence.
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Meanwhile, Qiu’s team also confirmed that the Chloeia parva, was the “culprit behind recent outbreaks” on Hong Kong beaches.
The team borrowed the original specimen record from the Natural History Museum in London to confirm the species.
From the museum the team found the pigmentation produced when the species was first found in 1868, and managed to match the pattern – though the pigmentation had only a leg and some bristles – with the fireworms they collected in Hong Kong.
Chloeia parva, or the “Y-shaped spot fireworm”, is larger than the Chloeia bimaculata.
However, Qiu said scientists were yet to find out the reason behind the outbreak in Hong Kong.
“Last year some scientists said it might be due to reproduction, but we have dissected the fireworms and we could not find any egg or sperm,” Qiu said.
“Other suggestions included weather and disruption of eco-balance due to overfishing, but these are also yet to be verified.”
Qiu warned the public not to touch fireworms, as their bristles contain neurotoxins that could get into human brains and cause swelling, a sensation of burning and even nausea and dizziness.
Qiu said fireworms were not a popular subject for biologists, “perhaps because they don’t look as beautiful as fish”.
“There are some 6,000 recorded marine species in Hong Kong. Further discovery of a new marine species shows that biodiversity of Hong Kong is rich and more species await discovery,” Qiu said.
