Unidentified Creature from Monterey, California

September 3, 2005
From: Douglas Hansen

I have occasionally found these creatures while diving in Monterey. I found this one fully exposed on a rocky face in about 70 feet of water. I usually see only a portion of these creatures sticking out of a crevice. This one appeared to be approximately one meter long! It is only about one-quarter of an inch (or less) wide. The photograph is of what appears to be the anterior end. I have not seen anything like it in any of the books that I have. Can you give me some idea of what this might be?

Locality:  Point Lobos State Reserve, California, USA. Depth: 70 feet. Length: 1 meter. 18 July 2005. rocky wall. Photographer: Douglas Hansen

Douglas Hansen

mhel0323@sbcglobal.net

Hansen, D.S., 2005 (Sep 3) Unidentified Creature from Monterey, California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14689

Dear Doug,
I know I should resist the temptation to spend time on non molluscan animals but some are quite fascinating. This is a carnivorous nemertine worm, a phylum of animals which are commonly known as bootlace or ribbon worms for obvious reasons. We have some spectacular photos from Dong Bum Koh of one eating a sea hare [message #13659]. Your animal is identified as Tubulanus sexlineatus (Griffin) and known from Alaska to sthn California. I had a quick look on the web today and found many records of a species with this name from both the Nth American and European Atlantic coast. To my unturored eye the Atlantic one looks quite different, so as I don't know where the animal was originally described, I don't know whether the name of the Californina animal is correct or not.  As I said, its probably best if I don't venture outside the field of molluscs.  
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Sep 3). Comment on Unidentified Creature from Monterey, California by Douglas Hansen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14689

Factsheet

Bootlace and ribbon worms - Nemertea

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