Nereis sp. B

Muir, Alexander I. & Bamber, Roger N., 2008, New polychaete (Annelida) records and a new species from Hong Kong: the families Polynoidae, Sigalionidae, Chrysopetalidae, Pilargiidae, Nereididae, Opheliidae, Ampharetidae and Terebellidae, Journal of Natural History 42 (9 - 12), pp. 797-814 : 808

Nereis sp. B

Material

One specimen, epifaunal sample 1 and two specimens, epifaunal sample 14, Fang Tsang Chau (Conic Island) Cave .

These specimens had parapodia with yellow tips and black aciculae, but were otherwise unpigmented. One specimen from sample 14 was complete but apparently regenerating, the posterior 28 chaetigers being much narrower than the anterior 32. There were two long pygidial cirri under the terminal anus.

Paragnaths are present on both maxillary rings: I50 or 1 small; II510–11; III 55–6; IV510–17; V 50; VI 54–6; VII–VIII5a sparse row of large paragnaths on the maxillary side of these areas, and a wide band of much smaller paragnaths (giving the appearance of a dusty surface) on the oral side.

The notopodial chaetae are homogomph spinigers on anterior chaetigers, posterior notopodia having one or two big homogomph falcigers with short blades. An anterior neuropodium has one homogomph spiniger above the acicula and one heterogomph spiniger below. A more posterior neuropodium has five homogomph spinigers and two big heterogomph falcigers with short blades above the acicula, and four heterogomph spinigers and two big heterogomph falcigers with short blades below the acicula.

Of those Nereis taxa recorded from Chinese waters in Huang (2001) and Sun and Yang (2004), this species is similar to Nereis multignatha Imajima & Hartman, 1964 , N. vexillosa Grube, 1851 and N. zonata Malmgren, 1867 . Among other differences, all these species have more paragnaths in areas II (515–20), III (520–40) and IV (530–41).