This variable species appears to be Tubulophilinopsis reticulata, although that has not been confirmed. Gosliner et al (2008) figure it as Philinopsis sp. 2. It appears to be a highly variable species that may include what we are calling Tubulophilinopsis e454a, and if so, even approaches some that we consider forms of T. gardineri. We have found specimens at Kwajalein and Enewetak Atolls. The large ones, one of which is shown in the photo immediately below, measured about 50mm.
The 29mm specimen below was found on 14 August 2011 in a Kwajalein lagoon Halimeda patch.
The animals below appears to be a juvenile Philinopsis reticulata. They measured only 9mm (first) and 12mm (second) in length.
The animal in the two photos below came from a lagoon slope algae patch at a depth of about 22m on 4 July 2011.
What a face!
The animal below may be another variation.
A slightly larger 23mm specimen with similar coloration starts to more closely resemble other animals on this page. It was in a Kwajalein lagoon Halimeda patch on 15 August 2011.
A very light colored one was found on in shallow water on the lagoon side of Kwajalein Island by Christina Sylvester.
This one is very similar to one we are calling Tubulophilinopsis sp. e454a, and pretty much confirms that they are all the same species.
After some consideration and encouragement from a knowledgeable colleague, we decided to include the animal below among the juveniles of Tubulophilinopsis reticulata. This 9mm long specimen, however, was much lighter in color than a similar-sized animal we consider a juvenile T. reticulata, but the more specimens of that species we find, the more variable it seems to be. This individual was found on an Enewetak Atoll lagoon pinnacle at night, in Lyngbya algae at a depth of 15 meters.
Created 28 January 2007
Updated 22 June 2020