Acotylean 3
Photo: Pauline Fiene, Maui. April 10, 2010

ID from Newman and Canon. "Body oval, thick and fleshy, translucent white with distinct irregular large black-brown spots...." Two tiny blackish tentacles arise from the head region, faintly visible in our photo (on right). This animal is known from the Marshall Islands, the United Arab Emirates, and now Hawaii. Newman and Cannon add this note: "Family determination uncertain without examination of reproductive structures."

Here are some more photos of this striking worm taken by Scott Johnson at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. Scott calls it "Acotylean 1" on his website.

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