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Gallery

Phylum

OC-SP-0002991

Mozzie Flat - York Peninsula SA;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;SACReD51-31;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA056;SMSA056;SP02578;AN017771;NMVE9327;PID0108816

Mozzie Flat - York Peninsula SA;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;SACReD51-31;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA056;SMSA056;SP02578;AN017771;NMVE9327;PID0108816

Species ID

OC-SP-0002991

Discovered

Phylum

Nemertea

Species ID

OC-SP-0002991

Provisional Species Name

Zygonemertes sp_SMSA056

Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS

Zygonemertes

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

Zygonemertidae

Genus

Zygonemertes

Date Identified

28/01/2026

Taxonomic Remarks

Zygonemertes sp. SMSA056 resembles two other local congeners with numerous post-cerebral ocelli — Zygonemertes sp. SMSA053 and SMSA055. It can be distinguished from the former by having smaller pre-cerebral ocelli, from the latter by having a smaller S/B ratio, and from both species by its conical stylet basis, having fewer post-cerebral ocelli, and by COI sequence data. Zygonemertes wadjemupensis Gibson 1999, described from the Rottnest Island, Western Australia (a distinct biogeographic province from southeastern Australia), has not been sequenced, but can be differentiated from the present species by arrangement of ocelli and a smaller S/B ratio.

Received All Minimal Data for Discovery

08/04/2026

Description of Material

Body 25 mm long, 0.3 mm wide, threadlike, semi translucent. Background colour uniform pale orange. Cephalic lobe wider than adjacent body region, rounded, twice as long as it is wide, separated from body by a neck furrow. Oblique cerebral organ furrows visible dorsally and ventrally. Multiple ocelli (18-20) in 2 rows on each side of head, additionally, 3 or 4 ocelli in a single row posterior to cerebral ganglia. Cerebral ganglia appear pale brown through the body wall. Epidermal sickle-like inclusions present. Posterior tip pointed. Rhynchocoel length extends to posterior tip of body. Stylet basis conical, widest at its distal truncated end. S/B = 0.6, two accessory stylet sacs with 2 stylets in each.

Ecology

Found in scum scraped from side of rock in the intertidal zone.

Distribution

Mozzie Flat, South Australia, Australia.

Scientific Name Authorship

Maslakova, Svetlana

Mozzie Flat - York Peninsula SA;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;SACReD51-31;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA056;SMSA056;SP02578;AN017771;NMVE9327;PID0108816

Mozzie Flat - York Peninsula SA;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;SACReD51-31;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA056;SMSA056;SP02578;AN017771;NMVE9327;PID0108816

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.