Species ID
OC-SP-0002977
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002977
Provisional Species Name
Tetrastemma sp_SMTM010
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
23/07/2025
Taxonomic Remarks
Morphologically resembles a locally co-occurring species, Tetrastemma sp. SMTM002, from which it differs by the shape of stylet basis (rounded vs. truncated). Two undescribed look-alikes are known from Oman (Tetrastemma sp. SMOM006 and Tetrastemma sp. SMOM008). The two individuals depicted here differ in the presence of white anterior and posterior spots, and have COI sequence divergence of 5%, thus potentially representing two separate species. COI sequence divergence from other congeners >10%.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 5-7 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, translucent, with opaque, pink-tinged proboscis and opaque gut clearly showing through the body wall. With four small ocelli; anterior pair obscured by a narrow orange pigment bar. One individual has an opaque white pigment patch anterior to the orange bar and an opaque white posterior pigment spot, while the other lacks these white patches. Cerebral organ furrows are oblique and conspicuous – slanted posteriorly from ventral to dorsal, almost encircling the body, forming an anteriorly directed “V” ventrally, and a posteriorly directed “V” dorsally. Cerebral organ furrows cross over the posterior pair of ocelli and extend further posteriad toward the dorsal midline. Neck furrow inconspicuous. Stylet basis distally rounded, S/B =0.65. Two accessory stylet sacs with 2 stylets each.
Ecology
Associated with coral rubble.
Distribution
Only known from Atauro Island, Timor-Leste.
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
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