Point Lonsdale;31 - Nemertea;BQDAC0020;MRG929-05;Tetrastemma sp. SMSA021;SMSA021;SP02363;AN022280;NMVF290391;PID0246108
Species ID
OC-SP-0002966
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002966
Provisional Species Name
Tetrastemma sp_SMSA021
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
This species is easily distinguished from other locally co-occurring Tetrastemma spp. by the reddish foregut glands, green gut contents, and by COI sequence data.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 8 – 18 mm long, 0.5 – 1 mm wide. Background colour white, semitranslucent. Often tinted green, possibly due to the color of gut contents. Cephalic lobe is same width as body, bluntly tapered, not clearly separated from the body (neck furrow indistinct). Cerebral organ furrows present dorsally and ventrally. Two pairs of ocelli. Posterior tip pointed. Rhynchocoel extends to near posterior tip. Stylet basis pear shaped or cylindrical with a slight constriction in centre, widest at its rounded distal end. S/B = 0.5. Two accessory stylet sacs with 1 – 3 stylets in each. Species also has distinct reddish colouration in the foregut region, which appears to be gland cells in the posterior half of the stomach, and may be related to the type of prey.
Ecology
This species is only found in the seagrass Amphibolis antarctica in the intertidal zone.
Distribution
Bear Gully to Portland, Victoria, Australia. Also recorded from South Australia but is not reported from Western Australia.
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
Point Lonsdale;31 - Nemertea;BQDAC0020;MRG929-05;Tetrastemma sp. SMSA021;SMSA021;SP02363;AN022280;NMVF290391;PID0246108
Specimens
Additional Material
No Image yet…
AFLA_F290055
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
AFLA_F290297
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
AFLA_F290298
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Primary Voucher
AFLA_F290391
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
AFLA_F323489
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
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