Geonemertes pelaensis
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| Geonemertes pelaensis | |
|---|---|
| Video file: Geonemertes pelaensis killing a spider. Observe proboscis at end of movie. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Nemertea |
| Class: | Hoplonemertea |
| Order: | Monostilifera |
| Family: | Prosorhochmidae |
| Genus: | Geonemertes |
| Species: | G. pelaensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Geonemertes pelaensis Semper, 1863 | |
| Synonyms | |
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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 [3] and Florida.[4] Geonemertes pelaensis is a known predator of gastropoda in the wild, and isopoda, and amphipoda in laboratory settings.[5]
