Nephasoma (Nephasoma) diaphanes diaphanes (Gerould 1913)

A cosmopolitan species - the most common sipunculan in deep-sea communities

Scavenger, predator on annelid worms, crustaceans, brittle stars and mollusks

Dioecious; Probably trochophore larva

Whitish, transparent or translucent body wall; Two retractors; Transparent or translucent body wall; Introvert shorter than the trunk with a few short tentacular lobes; Scattered, spine-like hooks; Immature specimens of other Nephasoma species might be (and very often are so the literature is full of unavoidable noise on this issue) easily mistaken with N. diaphanes; Larger shelter dwellers may have enlarged and darker posterior papillae

Present from the wide range of bathymetric distribution; Very common in deep-sea communities; It inhabits sand, silt, clay and mud; It often lives in foraminiferan tests or small polychaete tubes; In Svalbard found at depths from 40-2553m