Nephasoma (Nephasoma) pellucidum ( Keferstein, 1865 )

Dean, Harlan K., Hernández-Ávila, Iván & Cutler, Edward B., 2007, Sipunculans of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Curaçao, Zootaxa 1431, pp. 45-54 : 46-47

Nephasoma (Nephasoma) pellucidum ( Keferstein, 1865)

Phascolosoma pellucidum Keferstein, 1865:433 . – ten Broeke, 1925:83. Phascolosoma sluiteri ten Broeke, 1925: 84–85.

Specimens collected.

CURA Ç AO: EBC – STA 303: 29/xii/87; 12º 0 4’ N, 68º53’ W; Caracas Baai, to right of causeway; (3). STA 305: 31/xii/87; 12º 0 4’ N, 68º 53’ W; Caracas Baai, along causeway on ocean side; (2). STA 308: 1/i/88; Baibara Beach, east side of outlet to Spaansche water; (1).

CUMAN Á: EBC – STA 311: 5/i/88: 10º27’ N 68º09’W; Playa Colarada, west of Mochima; (1). STA 312: 6/i/88: at Galita near Playa Quetepe, east of Cumaná; (1). STA 313: 7/i/88: Playa Colorada, west of Mochima; (2).

LOS ROQUES ARCHIPELAGO: EBC– STA 314: 10/i/88: 11º 48’ N, 66º 53’ W; dead reef west of dock, north side of Isla Dos Mosquises Sur; (1). STA 317: 12/i/88: Isla Dos Mosquises Sur, Cayo off Southeast corner in outer Acropora reef; (1).

Remarks. Members of the genus Nephasoma have a continuous longitudinal muscle layer, a pair of nephridia, and two (rather than 4) retractor muscles. N. pellucidum may be recognized by its small, sausageshaped body (<30 mm long) and the uniformly distributed papillae on the trunk.

Distribution. Nephasoma Nephasoma pellucidum is usually encountered in shallow water in sand or mud burrows. It has been reported from the western Atlantic and Caribbean south to Brazil as well as the south Pacific and Indian Ocean ( Cutler, 1994). ten Broeke (1925) reported this species from Spaansche Water, Curaçao, on Porites furcata , and on coral (as P. sluiteri ).