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The mission of the Ocean Census is to accelerate the discovery of ocean life to advance fundamental science, empower conservation, and fuel innovation for the future of our planet.

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Gallery

Phylum

OC-SP-0002962

Anglesea - Point Roadknight;31 - Nemertea;BQDAC0020;MRG931-05;Tetrastemma sp. SMSA013;SMSA013;SP02566;AN022379;NMVF290396;PID0247643

Species ID

OC-SP-0002962

Discovered

Phylum

Nemertea

Species ID

OC-SP-0002962

Provisional Species Name

Tetrastemma sp_SMSA013

Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS

Tetrastemma

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

Tetrastemmatidae

Genus

Tetrastemma

Date Identified

20/01/2026

Taxonomic Remarks

There are several cryptic nearly colorless species of Tetrastemma in southeast Australia which are difficult to differentiate morphologically. Tetrastemma sp. SMSA013 can be distinguished from similar local species (e.g. Tetrastemma sp. SMSA017) by having colorless rather than pink cerebral ganglia, and from others by body color and the skirt-shaped stylet basis with a relatively short stylet, as well as by COI sequence data.

Received All Minimal Data for Discovery

08/04/2026

Description of Material

Body 12 – 14 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, cream colored, semitranslucent, without patterning. Cephalic lobe slightly wider than neck, diamond shaped, one third longer than it is wide, separated from body by conspicuous neck furrow. Prominent oblique cerebral organ furrows visible dorsally and ventrally. Two pairs of ocelli. Posterior tip rounded or bluntly pointed. Rhynchocoel extends to near posterior tip. Stylet basis skirt shaped, widest at its distal truncated end. S/B = 0.4. Two accessory stylet sacs with 2 – 3 stylets in each.

Ecology

Found in various seaweeds on rocky reefs in the intertidal zone.

Distribution

Point Roadknight, Victoria, Australia

Scientific Name Authorship

Maslakova, Svetlana

Anglesea - Point Roadknight;31 - Nemertea;BQDAC0020;MRG931-05;Tetrastemma sp. SMSA013;SMSA013;SP02566;AN022379;NMVF290396;PID0247643

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.