Clifton Springs - W of boat ramp;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;MRG928-07;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA057;SMSA057;SP02557;AN022221;NMVF290381;PID0245101
Species ID
OC-SP-0002992
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002992
Provisional Species Name
Zygonemertes sp_SMSA057
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
Easily recognized from other Zygonemertes of southeastern Australia by presence of the pigmented cephalic patch. Three other species of Zygonemertes with a pigmented head patch are known worldwide — Zygonemertes sp. SMOM004 from Oman, Zygonemertes simoneae Correa 1961 from Florida, and a species reported as Eumonostilifera sp. 3 by Chernyshev (2016) from Vietnam. The present species differs from the Florida and Vietnam species (which presently lack sequence data) by the number and arrangement of ocelli, and from the only other barcoded species, Zygonemertes sp. SMOM004 by COI sequence data.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 4 – 48 mm long, up to 0.5 mm wide, threadlike, semitranslucent. Background body colour uniform pale greenish yellow with a darker mid-dorsal line corresponding to the rhynchocoel. Cephalic lobe slightly wider than adjacent body region, rounded, one and a half times longer than it is wide, separated from body by a slight constriction corresponding to an inconspicuous neck furrow. Oblique cerebral organ furrows visible dorsally and ventrally. Large ocelli arranged in two clusters — one (~20 ocelli) on each side of the anterior part of cephalic lobe, overlaid and masked by a deep teal pigment patch, and two clusters of 1 – 7 smaller ocelli immediately anterior to cerebral ganglia. Some specimens have a narrow transverse white band or patch immediately posterior to the dark teal patch. Epidermal sickle-like inclusions present. Posterior tip rounded. Stylet basis elongated, sometimes with a slight constriction anterior to the distal truncated end, widest at its proximal end. S/B = 1, two accessory stylet sacs with 2 – 4 stylets in each.
Ecology
Found on a range of different weeds, sediments, sponges and ascidians in sheltered locations in both intertidal and shallow subtidal zones.
Distribution
Barwon Heads to Port Welshpool, Victoria, Australia. Also reported from South Australia, but have not been sequenced from that region.
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
Clifton Springs - W of boat ramp;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;MRG928-07;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA057;SMSA057;SP02557;AN022221;NMVF290381;PID0245101
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