Themiste (Lagenopsis) minor huttoni (Benham)

Phascolosoma huttoni Benham, 1903: 177 –184.

Type locality: New Zealand.

Remarks: These 11 worms with smooth dark sausage­shaped trunks measure 3–20 mm long. The short introverts bear scattered dark hooks and the collar region at the base of the branched tentacles is pigmented. The orientation of these hooks is generally towards the posterior end but some small deviation from this can be found (not to be confused with T. variospinosa from Australia where they point in all directions). Internally the single pair of strong retractor muscles originate near the middle of the trunk and digitiform contractile vessel villi are well developed in the larger worms.

Distribution: Australia, New Zealand (including Chatham Islands), commonly in intertidal, hard substrata. This material is therefore not surprising except for the greater depths.