E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Eupentacta pseudoquinquesemita has the same body form as E. quinquesemita, with five rows of non-retractile tube feet and smooth spaces between. It grows up to 10 cm long. The skin is soft and pliable. The general colour is a creamy white with the tentacles being a faint peachy colour. Typically, bits and pieces of shell and other debris adhere to the tube feet. There are eight equal-sized tentacles and two tiny ones on the ventral side. The tentacles are usually retracted when the species is collected.

Skin ossicles: numerous, porous ovoid bodies as well as more delicate cups. Cups are small oval plates shaped like a shallow dish with a rim of knobs. This species has few, if any, baskets.

The external differences between the two Eupentacta species are subtle and not always consistent. Externally, the tube feet of E. pseudoquinqesemita are finer and more numerous, with a broad space between the series of tube feet. It also has a softer body. Without having the two species side by side, this description may not help too much. To be sure, check the skin ossicles for the presence of baskets or cups, as described above. The habitat will provide a clue as to which species you have (see below). In British Columbia the most common intertidal species is E. quinquesemita, but in southeast Alaska E. pseudoquinquesemita is more common.