Cape Conran - Joiner's Channel;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;MRG926-03;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA058;SMSA058;SP02377;AN022141;NMVF290361;PID0241499
Species ID
OC-SP-0002993
Discovered
Phylum
Nemertea
Species ID
OC-SP-0002993
Provisional Species Name
Zygonemertes sp_SMSA058
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
There are several cryptic nearly colorless species of Zygonemertes that lack post-cerebral ocelli in southeast Australia which are difficult to separate. SMSA058 can be distinguished from other similar local species (SMSA048, SMSA049, SMSA050, SMSA051, SMSA052, and SMSA067) by habitat, large pink eggs, and by COI sequence data.
Received All Minimal Data for Discovery
08/04/2026
Description of Material
Body 10 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, threadlike, translucent. Background colour uniform light beige. Cephalic lobe slightly wider than adjacent body region, rounded, twice as long as it is wide, separated by indistinct neck furrow. Cerebral organ furrows not visible. Multiple ocelli (20 per side) in 2 rows on each side of head, and one unpaired ocellus posterior to cerebral ganglia. Epidermal sickle-like inclusions present. Posterior tip bluntly pointed. Rhynchocoel about half the length of the body. Stylet basis cylindrical with a truncated distal end. S/B = 1.2, two accessory stylet sacs with 2 – 3 stylets in each. The only specimen of this species had 6 very large, pink oocytes (1 per ovary).
Ecology
Found in and amongst large sabellid tube worm tubes under rocks in the intertidal zone.
Distribution
Cape Conran, Victoria, Australia
Scientific Name Authorship
Maslakova, Svetlana
Cape Conran - Joiner's Channel;31 - Nemertea;BQDAF0050;MRG926-03;Zygonemertes sp. SMSA058;SMSA058;SP02377;AN022141;NMVF290361;PID0241499
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