Hofstenia miamia Correa, 1960

Hooge, Matthew D. & Tyler, Seth, 2007, Acoela (Acoelomorpha) from Belize, Zootaxa 1479 (1), pp. 21-33 : 28

Hofstenia miamia Correa, 1960

( Figs. 6A, B )

Material. USNM 1096778 and SMNH 89913, two sets of 2-µm-thick serial sections of epoxy-embedded specimens stained with toluidine blue.

Localities. Grouper Garden, Twin Cays (16°49’46” N, 88°06’10” W), from submerged and decaying mangrove leaves surrounding mangrove rhizomes, and Carrie Bow Cay (16°48’09” N, 88°04’55” W), from subtidal Thalassia sp. roots and underlying sediment.

Description. Mature specimens ~ 4 mm long contracted and 6–7 mm when elongated. Specimens collected from mangrove leaves usually with brown coloration and three white cross bands ( Fig. 6A ); often with additional spots of white. Specimens collected from Thalassia sp. mostly white, with wide brown band covering the lateral regions of the dorsal side but not crossing over the dorsal midline ( Fig. 6B ). Internal morphology identical in the two color morphs.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Photomicrographs of living acoel specimens. A. Hofstenia miamia collected from decaying mangrove leaves. B. Hofstenia miamia collected from a bed of Thalassia sp. C. Avagina cf. marci.