First Record for Prosorhochmus americanus (Nemertea, Hoplonemertea) in Virginia with Notes on its Natural History and Morphology

The viviparous hoplonemertean Prosorhochmus americanus (Gibson et al.) is documented for the first time in Virginia. The nemertean occurs on the north jetty at Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, VA in the intertidal zone associated with stunted oysters and byssal threads of mussels. This finding raises the number of nemertean species recorded for Virginia to 23 and is the third report of this species in North America, extending its range approximately 650 km northward of the type locality. Field observations suggest that this gregarious worm is inactive during daytime low tides, and laboratory studies reveal that the worm feeds on amphipod crustaceans that co-occur on the jetty. New data for the stylet to basis ratio and observations on the number of juveniles per ovary are presented.