Species ID
OC-SP-0002976
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002976
Provisional Species Name
Tetrastemma sp_SMTM004
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
Differs from most other known congeners by colour and pattern of cephalic pigmentation. Resembles an undescribed species from Guam, Tetrastemma sp. SMGM015 from which it differs by COI sequence divergence of >10%.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 6-9 mm long, 0.25-0.3 mm wide, cream coloured, semi-translucent. Cephalic lobe tinged yellow, with a more opaque yellow to whitish-yellow patch over its anterior half (anterior to and between the anterior pair of ocelli). With four small ocelli; distance between the anterior pair and posterior pair slightly longer than the distance between the two ocelli in each pair; anterior pair of ocelli slightly larger and further apart than the posterior pair. Cerebral organ furrows are oblique and conspicuous – slanted posteriorly from ventral to dorsal, forming an anteriorly directed “V” ventrally, and a posteriorly directed “V” dorsally, where they overlap the posterior pair of ocelli. Neck furrow inconspicuous. Stylet basis distally rounded, S/B = 1. Two accessory stylet sacs with 1-2 stylets each.
Ecology
Associated with branched coralline algae and coral rubble.
Distribution
Only known from Atauro Island and near Dili, Timor-Leste.
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
Specimens
Additional Material
No Image yet…
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3668
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3669
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3671
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Primary Voucher
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3139
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3204
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
Additional Material
No Image yet…
SMGPTM_BOIMB-3205
Family
Tetrastemmatidae
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