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Family: Hofsteniidae
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Bocas Species Database Habitat: Submerged mangrove leaves and roots. Depth around 1 meter or less. Distribution: Hofstenia have been found in Japan, the Red Sea, the North Atlantic islands of Bermuda, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Specimens of Hofstenia miamia were collected in the STRI field station at Bocas del Toro. Natural History Notes: The species Hofstenia miamia belongs to the genus Hofstenia, and species of this genus are commonly called three-banded panther worms due to their carnivory, their color morphs and their shape that can resemble to a pointed tail. Hofstenia are known to be voracious predators and are among the most colorful and the largest individuals of the order Acoela. Corrêa first described this particular species in 1960. In 1966, Steinböck compared the species Hofstenia miamia with another species, Hofstenia giselae, and concluded that these two species were distinct, and based his conclusions on characteristics such as length, structures of the nervous system and pharynx arrangement. However, with the use of molecular analyses (18S and 28S molecular sequence), it has been was shown that these two species do not differ significantly. The species Hofstenia giselae is now accepted as a junior synonym of Hofstenia miamia. Characteristics: They possess interesting color morphs, with dark brown-and-white banding and spotting patterns. These patterns of coloration can vary greatly among individuals. For example, individuals that were collected in Panama showed a spotted pattern, whereas individuals from Belize were mostly stripped. Their pharynx simplex is commonly one-third to one-half of the entire length of the animal. The male copulatory organs and positioned anteriorly, but they do not possess a female gonopore. They generally measure 4-9 mm in length and predate on micrometazoans. |
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