Meta-Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Novel RNA Viruses in Polychaetes .

species are essential benthonic animals in coastal ecosystems and have significant roles as live feed in aquaculture, owing to their high-protein and low-fat nutritional profile. Despite their ecological importance, the viral communities associated with these organisms need to be better understood. In this study, we generated 2.6 × 10 reads using meta-transcriptomic sequencing and assembled 5.3 × 10 virus-associated contigs. We identified 12 novel RNA viruses from two species, and , which were classified into four major viral groups: , , unclassified , and unclassified . Our findings revealed the hidden diversity of viruses and genome structures in , enriching the RNA virosphere and expanding the host range of , and . This study also highlighted the potential biosecurity risk of the novel viruses carried by to aquaculture.