Description: A tiny transparent worm-like holothurian which lives at the surface of soft mud. There are twelve tentacles each with four digits. The body wall is transparent and five longitudinal muscle-bands are visible internally by transparency. The spicules consist of anchors and racket-shaped anchor-plates with handles. 2-3cm in length.

Habitat: Lives at the surface or just buried in flocculent mud.

Distribution: Originally described from Scandinavia this species had only been found in the British Isles in Strangford Lough, N. Ireland. It has recently been discovered in similar very sheltered habitats in the sea lochs of the Outer Hebrides.

Similar Species: Labidoplax buski (McIntosh, 1866) is very similar but has 11 tentacles with a long terminal digit and a single pair of lateral digits.

Key Identification Features:

• Tiny worm-like holothurian.
• 12 tentacles each with 4 digits.
• Shape of spicules.

Distribution Map from NBN: Labidoplax media at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Labidoplax media at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Labidoplax media at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Labidoplax media Östergren, 1905. AphiaID: 124457.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Echinodermata; Echinozoa; Holothuroidea; Paractinopoda; Apodida; Synaptidae; Labidoplax