Nephasoma (Nephasoma) diaphanes diaphanes (Gerould, 1913)

Açik, S., Murina, G. V., Çinar, M. E. & Ergen, Z., 2005, Sipunculans from the coast of northern Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean Sea), Zootaxa 1077, pp. 1-23 : 7-9

Nephasoma (Nephasoma) diaphanes diaphanes (Gerould, 1913)

Nephasoma diaphanes: Saiz Salinas 1993a: 541 –542, figs 3a–c; Saiz Salinas 1993b: 79 –84, figs 36, 37, 83a; Saiz Salinas 1995: 313 –315, figs 3a–c.

Nephasoma diaphanes diaphanes: Saiz Salinas & Villafranca Urchegui 1990: 1156 –1158, figs 8a–h; Pancucci­Papadopoulou et al. 1999: 50–51, fig. 14.

Nephasoma (Nephasoma) diaphanes diaphanes: Cutler 1994: 93 –94, fig. 20.

Material examined: ESFM – SIP /97–3, T7, trawl, start: 35°40.3' N – 34°39.1' E, finish: 35°39.7' N – 34°37.8' E, 16 May 1997, 275– 337 m, mud, 4 specimens; ESFM – SIP /97–2, D7, dredge, 35°34.4' N – 34°26.9' E, 16 May 1997, 140 m, mud, 3 specimens; ESFM – SIP / 97–4, D8, dredge, 35°34.8' N – 34°38.3' E, 16 May 1997, 210 m, mud, 3 specimens; E SFM– SIP /98–5, D16, dredge, 35°43.8' N – 34°37.3' E, 16 July 1998, 300 m, mud with shell fragments, 10 specimens.

Remarks: Body wall translucent or transparent. Trunk 0.8 (smallest individual)–7.2 (largest individual) mm in length, 0.3–0.8 mm in width. Introvert 0.3–3.7 mm long, 0.2–0.3 mm wide. Trunk 2–2.7 times introvert length. Introvert with small scattered hooks; 18–20 µm high, 13–15 µm thick at base. Papillae on posterior part of trunk 10–22 µm height. Distance between posterior end of trunk and base of retractors 0.4 mm. Retractors originating from 31% of the distance to the end of trunk. Nephridiopores at level of anus. Eggs elliptical; longer axis 75–98 µm in diameter, smaller axis 48–83 µm in diameter.

Distribution: Cosmopolitan in deep waters ( Cutler 1994). Depth range to 5300 m ( Cutler 1994).