Is this a worm or a nudie or something else?

[Kevin Lee]

Last Saturday (May 29th), I took this foto, at about 50fws, during an open water dive, a few miles off the LA coastline. The animal is, I believe, a C. affinis. On close inspection, it appears to have a tiny hitchhiker, about 1/4 inch long. Perhaps a type of flat worm or a sea slug. Not sure what it is. Dave Behrens isn't quite sure himself. Anyone want to hazard a guess or provide an educated ID?
K:-)

[Leslie Harris]

Oh Kevin, how can you insult the noble name of worm this way? It's an amphipod!

[Kevin Lee]

Oh disgraceful egg on my countenance! May the Most Revered Royal Polychaete Gods lash me a thousands times with a flatworm belt and deign to accept my most humble apologies. k;-)
AMPHIPOD?!^@$%# sheesh...
Yet, I discern no hint of segmentation that would be characteristic of an amphiod.
Reason I thought it might be a flatworm (which I mistook for a sea slug):

http://tinyurl.com/22tdaze

[Leslie Harris]

I'm sure the Polychaete Gods will accept such a heart-felt apology!

Of course, the egg will be on my face if I'm wrong I had forgotten about that worm (didn't I find the name for you?). I'll send it to some pod friends and see if they agree or if I'll be the next one kneeling in shame.

[Leslie Harris]

Don Cadien had this to say " It is an amphipod, probably a hyperiid in the genus Scina (at least that is what the antennal peduncles suggest)."

I found a good article for you - with UW pics - on associations between symbiotic crustaceans & gelatinous zooplankton in California here http://www.mbari.org/expeditions/Biolum ... /index.htm

[Kevin Lee]

Many thanks for Don's feedback and for the interesting link, Les. K:-)