New Species Named After Armand Kuris
A new species of ribbon worm -- the Carcinonemertes kurisi-- has been named for the UCSB professor.
In the world of biology, having a new species named after you is considered one of the greatest honors for a scientist. Just ask Armand Kuris, professor of zoology in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara.
A new species of worm — the Carcinonemertes kurisi— has been named for the UCSB professor. “When a species is named after you, that is forever,” said Kuris. “It’s quite an honor. One hundred years from now, when we’re all gone, people will wonder who that Kuris guy was. I also like that it is a pretty worm on a nice crab.”
The new species is a tiny, parasitic worm, from two millimeters to five millimeters long. It lives among the eggs of the purple globe crab that makes its home in the shallow waters of sandy beaches from Northern California to Baja California.
