The scientific name of the new species, Liropus minusculus, emphasizes its tiny size, with adult males typically measuring only 3.3 millimeters in length.

These straw worms prefer to live in shallow tidal zones and can attach themselves to rocks and plants, feeding on algae and animal larvae suspended in the water. The elongated bodies make them look a bit like bamboo worms. Compared to its Eastern Hemisphere counterparts, the new species differs mainly in the morphology of its abdominal limbs and trunk, Gera-Garcia said.