Scientists alert to a new threat to the balance of ecosystems in Europe.
Repulsive, harmful, awful … earthworms suffer from a bad reputation. However, they play an essential role in ecosystems. Their presence contributes – among other things – to the ventilation of the soils, to recycle the necromasse and to fertilized the soils. Enough to make the best combine of gardeners!
But there is a more formidable species than the others, which has nothing to do with the earthworm: THE “pOsteterogonia orbicularis“, also called” planar “. This aquatic flat worm is hidden in the fresh and marine waters of Europe. Originally from the Pacific, he managed to make his way to Europe By taking advantage of global maritime transport. The species has been identified by a team Multidisciplinary composed of researchers from the University of Oviedo (Spain) and the Regional Research and Agrifood Development Service (Serida) in the north of Spain and in the Gulf of Gascogne. France can worry.
“This species constitutes a serious threat to our local ecosystems and for the aquaculture industry. Mussel cultures, which the planaries literally devour to dry them, are particularly affected”, alerts scientist Ricardo López Alonso. In their natural habitat, already, planaries are renowned for their devastating character, with considerable damage to aquaculture facilities.
And for good reason: this species has surprising capacities, making it difficult to exterminate. Thanks to his centralized brain, the planar is able to regenerate physically – when he cuts his head, tail or any other part of his body – and mentally. This is why, if one of its members grow back, he also finds all of his memories, reports the magazine Science & Life. This invader has so much implanted in European waters that it has become an indigenous species, which is extremely complicated to get rid of.
This predator risks having significant consequences on the global economy, considering the financial benefits of conchylicalulture (farming of edible shells). On the scale of France only, the population consumed 30,000 tonnes of molds and 16,400 tonnes of oysters in 2024, according to Kantarthe world leader in data. Faced with this threat, both economic and environmental, scientists and authorities work together to avoid the propagation of the planar. Aquaculture has a lot to lose in the face of the voracity of this species.