Tetranemertes hermaphroditica (Gibson, 1982)

Cherneva, Irina, Ellison, Christina I., Zattara, Eduardo E., Norenburg, Jon L., Schwartz, Megan L., Junoy, Juan & Maslakova, Svetlana A., 2023, Seven new species of Tetranemertes Chernyshev, 1992 (Monostilifera, Hoplonemertea, Nemertea) from the Caribbean Sea, western Pacific, and Arabian Sea, and revision of the genus, ZooKeys 1181, pp. 167-200 : 167

Tetranemertes hermaphroditica (Gibson, 1982)

Nemertes hermaphroditicus Gibson, 1982: 227.

Type material.

No specimens of this species were available to us for morphological examination or DNA barcoding. Type material consists of the holotype: mature individual, full series of transverse and oblique sections, deposited at the Australian Museum, in Sydney, Australia (W.5880), collected by R. Gibson, 13 July 1975, western mid-reef flat, Heron Island, Capricorn Group.

Diagnosis.

Body color of living specimens dusky pink overall with translucent and colorless body margins, resembling T. antonina , T. arabica sp. nov., and T. majinbuui sp. nov. Tetranemertes hermaphroditica is the only species in the genus known to be a simultaneous hermaphrodite. Basis of central stylet is described to be cylindrical and rounded posteriorly, similar to that reported by Bürger (1895) for T. antonina , and unlike the posteriorly bilobed or deeply forked basis in other species of the genus, at least in larger individuals. Wide geographic separation also supports the distinctiveness of this species from all others.

Habitat.

Beneath a large fragment of dead coral ( Acropora sp.) partially embedded in clean coral sand.

Geographic distribution.

Heron Island, Australia.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the fact that specimens of this species are hermaphrodites. Note that both Nemertes and Tetranemertes are of female gender ( Nemertes is a Greek nymph, daughter of the god Nereus). Consequently, the correct Latin ending of the specific epithet should be -a, not -us.