Geonemertes pelaensis explained

Geonemertes pelaensis is a species of terrestrial Nemertea.^[1] Superficially, Geonemertes pelaensis resembles a land flatworm (family Geoplanidae) and lives in the same habitat, but it has an anterior exertile proboscis, whereas flatworms have a pharynx located in their ventral side at midlength of body. The number of eyes this nemertean can have varies between 4 and 8 ocelli.^[2]

It is commonly found on islands in the Indo-Pacific, and has been anthropogenically introduced to Caribbean islands and Florida.^[3] Geonemertes pelaensis is a known predator of gastropoda in the wild, and isopoda, and amphipoda in laboratory settings.^[4]

References

• Punnett, R. C. (1907). On an arboricolous nemertean from the Seychelles. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Series 2, 12(Pt. 1): 57-62
• Jones, H. D.; E. Sterrer, W. E. (2005). Terrestrial planarians (Platyhelminthes, with three new species) and nemertines of Bermuda. Zootaxa, 1001: 31-58

External links

• Semper, C. (1863). Reisebricht. Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Zoologie. Bd.13 pp. 558-570 + Tafel XXXVIII and XXXIX

Notes and References

1. Norenburg, J.; Gibson, R.; Herrera Bachiller, A.; Strand, M. (2021). World Nemertea Database. Geonemertes pelaensis Semper, 1863. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=597681 on 2022-02-01
2. Gibson . Ray . Moore . Janet . Further observations on the genus Geonemertes with a description of a new species from the Philippine Islands . Hydrobiologia . 1997 . 365 . 1/3 . 157–171 . 10.1023/A:1003199031726 . 19381243 . 9 March 2022.
3. MOORE . JANET . The Distribution and Evolution of Terrestrial Nemertines . American Zoologist . Oxford University Press (OUP) . 25 . 1 . 1985 . 0003-1569 . 10.1093/icb/25.1.15 . 15–21. free .
4. Shinobe . Shotaro . Uchida . Shota . Mori . Hideaki . Okochi . Isamu . Chiba . Satoshi . Declining soil Crustacea in a World Heritage Site caused by land nemertean . Scientific Reports . 7 . 1 . 2017-09-29 . 12400 . 2045-2322 . 10.1038/s41598-017-12653-4 . 28963523 . 5622052 . free .