Pseudobiceros kryptos Newman & Cannon, 1997
photos 1-2: Cory Pittman, Kapalua Bay, Maui. < 15 ft. photo 3: Karolle Wall, Makena Landing, Maui. "in a darker cave-like area in a back lagoon with fairly strong surge."

ID from Newman & Cannon CD. The Hawai`i worm resembles several photos of Pseudobiceros kryptos (out of seven) on the CD, but the species appears to be extremely variable in color. CD states that it is "common" and occurs in Australia (eastern and western), Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Philippines. A photo from Okinawa identified by Leslie Newman is posted on Marine Flatworms of the World.

The original 1997 description of P. kryptos reads in part: "Background colour variable; mottled olive green to lime green and white, large irregular brown and olive green spots on the margin, large irregular orange-brown spots and white dots scattered over dorsal surface, darker medially. Margin narrow, yellow. Gut diverticula usually green. Largest animals with narrow interrupted brown margin and large transverse cream-white bands. Ventral surface light olive green. Pseudotentacles square and ruffled. Cerebral eyespot in clear, oval area with up to 100 eyes. Size range 12 x 7 mm (immature) to 40 x 18 mm (mature)."

Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach include Pseudobiceros kryptos in their Reef Creature Identification, Tropical Pacific book and list Hawai`i as a location, although no source for that location is given. They also give a diagnostic character that is not mentioned by Newman & Cannon: "prominent white spot on midline ridge behind square marginal pseudotentacles." All worms on the CD have some sort of white spot or patch in this location, as does the Hawaii worm.

BACK to mottled or speckled w marginal bands