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Gallery

Phylum

OC-SP-0002907

Williamstown - The Jawbone;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0070;MRG825-02;Diplomma sp. SMSA034;SMSA034;SP02601;AN015818;NMVF290178;PID0128813

Williamstown - The Jawbone;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0070;MRG825-02;Diplomma sp. SMSA034;SMSA034;SP02601;AN015818;NMVF290178;PID0128813

Species ID

OC-SP-0002907

Discovered

Phylum

Nemertea

Species ID

OC-SP-0002907

Provisional Species Name

Diplomma sp_SMSA034

Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS

Diplomma

Lowest Known Rank

Genus

Status

Discovered

Does the taxonomist(s) intend to work on this material further?

3. I/We are not sure yet. This is of course no problem, we will display your species info (if not embargoed) while you work out your species description plan.

Embargo

No

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Nemertea

Class

Hoplonemertea

Order

Monostilifera

Family

Oerstediidae

Genus

Diplomma

Date Identified

28/01/2026

Taxonomic Remarks

Related to and closely resembles another local undescribed species, Diplomma sp. SMSA033, but can be differentiated from it by having paler body coloration, by the habitat, having 3-5 (as opposed to two) accessory stylet sacs, and by COI sequence data.

Received All Minimal Data for Discovery

08/04/2026

Description of Material

Body 25 – 30 mm long, 0.7 – 0.9 mm wide, tan to sandy brown, semitranslucent. Bright red cerebral ganglia and lateral nerve cords show through body wall. Cephalic lobe slightly narrower than adjacent body, 2-3 time as long as it is wide, not clearly separated from body (neck furrow indistinct). A pair of prominent transverse cerebral organ furrows found about halfway between the anterior tip and cerebral ganglia. An irregular row of 15-27 ocelli, all similar in size, along each side of head, extending from anterior tip to just posterior to cerebral ganglia. Stylet basis pear shaped, widest at its distal rounded end. S/B =1.3 – 1.6. Three to five accessory stylet sacs with 1 - 3 stylets each.

Ecology

Intertidal in sand.

Distribution

Only known from Williamstown (the Jawbone), Victoria, Australia

Scientific Name Authorship

Maslakova, Svetlana

Williamstown - The Jawbone;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0070;MRG825-02;Diplomma sp. SMSA034;SMSA034;SP02601;AN015818;NMVF290178;PID0128813

Williamstown - The Jawbone;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0070;MRG825-02;Diplomma sp. SMSA034;SMSA034;SP02601;AN015818;NMVF290178;PID0128813

Join the census

The Ocean Census Alliance unites national and philanthropic marine institutes, museums, and universities, backed by governments, philanthropy, business and civil society partners.