Peanut worms of the phylum Sipuncula from the Nha Trang Bay (South China Sea) with a key to species
Author
Adrianov, Andrey V.
Author
Maiorova, Anastassya S.
text
Zootaxa
2012
3166
41
58
journal article
45619
10.5281/zenodo.279772
32627594-388c-40b3-8481-0b241b850847
1175-5326
279772
Phascolosoma stephensoni
(Stephen, 1942)
(
Fig. 3
G–I)
Material.
Nha Trang Bay: Tre
Island
,
20 m
depth, sand, boring in shell of
Placuna sella
,
1 specimen
.
Description.
Trunk
20 mm
long,
4 mm
wide; from light brown in anterior and middle trunk to dark brown posteriorly, with large conelike papillae concentrated at the anterior and posterior end. Introvert subequal to trunk length, with pigmented bands; hooks with smooth clear streak, clear triangular area, crescent and distinct secondary tooth on the concave side, with about six cuticular warts basally. Longitudinal musculature splits into 15–20 anastomizing bands; dorsal and ventral retractors originate 40% and 20% of trunk length from the posterior end, respectively. Gut with about 10 loops; spindle muscle attached posteriorly. Nephridia about 70–80% of trunk length with about 1/6 attached to the body wall; nephridiopores and anus at the same level.
Discussion.
The internal structure of the hooks and the conical preanal and caudal papillae clearly distinguish
P. stephensoni
from other closely related species of the genus
Phascolosoma
.
This species is known from the Mediterranean, eastern Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It inhabits sandy bottoms and mollusk shells at shallow depths.