Branchiomma nigromaculatum (Baird, 1865)

Keppel, Erica, Tovar, Maria Ana & Ruiz, Gregory, 2015, First record and establishment of Branchiomma coheni (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) in the Atlantic Ocean and review of non – indigenous species of the genus, Zootaxa 4058 (4), pp. 499-518 : 510

Branchiomma nigromaculatum (Baird, 1865)

This species was first described from the Caribbean Sea, with many records in the Atlantic Ocean. The Australian Check list reports this species for the Pacific Sea (ABRS 2009) but neither Çinar (2013) nor Capa (2013) cited this species or commented on its status. Previous records of B. nigromaculatum from Australia were found by Hartmann-Schröder (1986; 1989; 1991), Hutchings & Rainer (1979), and Hutchings & Murray (1994). The last references reported B. nigromaculatum as widespread in most estuaries of New South Wales throughout the year, but figures or descriptions were not provided. Capa (pers. comm.) re-examined specimens reported from Australia but identification as B. nigromaculatum was not corroborated because specimens were small and morphological traits were not completely developed. Thus, presence of B. nigromaculatum in Australia is still in doubt.

Day (1967) reported B. nigromaculatum from South Africa, but Tovar-Hernández & Knight-Jones (2006) suggested that it belongs to B. corollifera Ehlers, 1913 . The Hawaiian record of B. nigromaculatum by Bailey- Brock (1987) seems to be B. cingulatum ( B. japonicum ), but more studies are needed to clarify its status.