APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

A-P-H-O-T-O Wildlife Stock Image Library
Tetrastemma melanocephalum (Johnston, 1837) - A tetrastemmatid nemertean (Nemertean images)
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Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- group of nemertean worms 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- exerted proboscis 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- anterior dorsal view 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- on rock underwater 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- on rock underwater 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- on rock underwater 3

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- coiled / dorsal view 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- coiled / dorsal view 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- anterior dorsal view 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- markings and eyes 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- markings and eyes 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- stylet 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- stylet 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- proboscis 1

Specimen above found in a sample of Coral Weed, Corallina officinalis, taken from the lowershore at Chimney Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall. 03.06.15.

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- dorsal view 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- dorsal view 2

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- dorsal view 3

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- anterior 1

Tetrastemmatid nemertean
Tetrastemma melanocephalum
- anterior 2

Species above found in a sample of coralline algae taken from the lowershore between Gyllynvase and Swanpool, Falmouth, Cornwall. 06.12.14.

Professor Juan Junoy states that this species is what he would consider Tetrastemma melanocephalum, but it is not possible to confirm the identity as there are other similar looking species. It must be noted that the images here are of only one specimen, which has dorsal rather than lateral speckling, which is described by Ray Gibson.

I have been informed, 09.12.14, by Professor Juan Junoy of the EU-US Marine Biodiversity Research Group, Universidad de Alcalá, Spain; that black-headed species of Tetrastemma are currently under revision using DNA analysis. It is likely there will be more black-headed Tetrastemma species described as a result of DNA analysis, than have been described in previous works on nemerteans e.g. those by Ray Gibson.

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.