NEMERTEANS 



6. CARCINONEMERTES EPIALTI Coe. 



pi. xix, figs. 1-9. 

 American Naturalist, xxxvi, p. 442, 1902. 



Body small, rounded, slender, of same diameter throughout; sex- 

 ually mature individuals about 4-6 mm. in length and less than 0.5 mm. 

 in diameter ; head not demarcated from body ; lateral grooves and 

 cerebral sense organs very inconspicuous or wanting. 



Color. Bright orange, sometimes inclining more to reddish and 

 sometimes to yellowish. Head a little paler, for the color is largely 

 due to the intestinal lobes which extend forward to brain. 



Ocelli. A pair of ocelli of irregular outline, but sometimes cres- 

 cent-shaped, lie about half way between tip of snout and brain. Some- 

 times the ocelli are irregularly fragmented, and the pigment is arranged 

 in four irregular masses. 



Proboscis. Proboscis sheath greatly reduced, extending but little 

 posteriorly to brain, where it becomes united with posterior chamber 

 of proboscis (pi. xix, fig. 2) . The sheath consists merely of few fibers 

 of connective tissue supporting a very thin flattened epithelium, and 

 can be seen only in favorable preparations. 



Proboscis very minute and short, extending scarcely more than its 

 own diameter posteriorly to brain (pi. xix, fig. 5). Rhynchodaeum 

 (fig. 5, r) slender; esophagus separates from proboscis cavity just in 

 front of brain (fig. 5). Anterior chamber of proboscis (figs. 2, 3, ac) 

 very small, not as long as the diameter of a brain lobe, lined with thin, 

 scarcely glandular epithelium. Stylet region swollen (figs. 2-4) and 

 provided with large and abundant gland cells (^-) which open both 

 into anterior chamber and into the narrow canal connecting this with 

 cavity behind stylet region. 



Basis of central stylet slender, about three to five times as long as 

 broad (figs. 3-5), measuring about .O27-.O33 mm. in length and 

 .005-. 008 mm. in diameter. Basis slightly larger posteriorly than 

 near attachment of the very minute stylet (figs. 2, 6). There is no 

 trace of accessory stylets. 



The usual small oval middle chamber lies directly behind stylet 

 region and connects with anterior chamber by a canal (figs. 3, 4) which 

 passes close beside the basis of the central stylet and which, though 

 narrow, is broader than in many other Hoplonemerteans. Middle 

 chamber, behind the stylet, is highly muscular, lined with flattened 

 epithelium, and is often filled with fluid containing an abundance of 

 granules resembling hardened secretions (fig. 3). These apparently 

 originate in the posterior chamber, as described below. 



