Species ID
OC-SP-0002898
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002898
Provisional Species Name
Balionemertes sp_SMTM039
Lowest Valid Taxon Name in WoRMS
Balionemertes
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
Palaeonemertea
Order
Archinemertea
Family
Cephalotrichellidae
Genus
Balionemertes
Date Identified
25/07/2025
Taxonomic Remarks
Morphologically and behaviourally (the worm crawls on the anatomically dorsal side), resembles species in the Balionemertes australiensis cryptic species complex, but COI sequence divergence from the nearest congener is >9%, suggesting Timor species is distinct from previously discovered species.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 80 mm long, 0.3-0.7 mm wide, thread-like; base color opaque white, with brown mottling forming more or less regular broad transverse bands which are interrupted by narrower bands of background color. Color is darker on the anatomically ventral (functionally dorsal) side. With six groups of ocelli — two ventral and two dorsal located anteriorly on the cephalic love, and two lateral, located more posteriorly. Cephalic lobe same width as adjacent body, with a distinct bluntly rounded anterior tip.
Ecology
Associated with coral rubble.
Distribution
Only known from Atauro Island, Timor-Leste.
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
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