Nereis coutieri Gravier, 1899

Yousefi, Shetav, Rahimian, Hasan, Nabavi, Seid Mohammad Bagher & Glasby, Christopher, 2011, Nereididae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from intertidal habitats in the Gulf of Oman, Iran, Zootaxa 3013, pp. 48-64 : 52-54

Nereis coutieri Gravier, 1899

( Figs 2 A, 3A–F)

Nereis coutieri Gravier, 1899a: 237 ; Fauvel, 1953: 187, fig. 95 i, k; Day, 1967: 311, fig. 14.6 a–e; Ben-Eliahu, 1972: 218.

Material examined. Iran, Gulf of Oman, Djod, 2 specimens ( ZUTC Ann. 1110), 1 specimen ( NTM W23744).

Description. Material examined incomplete, 22 mm long, 75 chaetigers, 1.6 mm wide at chaetiger 10 (excluding parapodia). Colour in alcohol is light cream with band of brown pigment on chaetiger 2 ( Fig. 2 A). Longest tentacular cirri extending back to chaetiger 2 ( Fig. 3 A). All paragnaths are conical. Paragnaths on maxillary ring arranged as follows: I = 0, II = 5, III = 5 paragnaths in one row, IV = 8. Paragnaths on oral ring arranged as follows: V = 0, VI = 6 conical paragnaths in a cluster, VII–VIII = 8 brown paragnaths in one row. Anterior and mid-body notopodia have two equal, conical pointed ligules, dorsal cirrus longer than dorsal ligule ( Fig. 3 B, C). Anterior and mid-body neuropodia have two ligules with rounded tips ( Fig. 3 B, C). In posterior notopodia dorsal ligule is expanded, dorsal cirrus is longer than dorsal ligule ( Fig. 3 D). Posterior neuropodia have two ligules, ventral one considerably longer than ventral cirrus ( Fig. 3 D). Notochaetae are homogomph spinigers anteriorly and two homogomph falcigers with smooth blades posteriorly ( Fig. 3 E). Neurochaetae are homogomph and heterogomph spinigers and heterogomph falcigers ( Fig. 3 F).

Remarks. The present specimens fit the original description of this species by Gravier (1899) and subsequent ones by Day (1967) from South Africa, Fauvel (1953) from India and Wu et al. (1985) from the Chinese coast. In particular, the pigment pattern on chaetiger 2 ( Fig. 2 A) in the specimens from Djod is the same as that illustrated for the type from the Red Sea by Gravier (1899a: fig. 6).

Regional distribution and habitat. Rocky and boulder shores of Djod (Gulf of Oman). Also Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea ( Table 2 ).

World distribution. Suez Canal; Red Sea (type locality); Gulf of Aden; South and East Africa; Indian Ocean; China; Vietnam.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal views of anterior end of selected nereidid species collected from the intertidal of Gulf of Oman, A, Nereis coutieri, body width about 1 mm; B, Perinereis heterodonta, body width about 2.5 mm; C, Perinereis horsti, pharynx everted, body width about 2 mm; D, Perinereis nuntia, pharynx everted, body width about 3 mm; E, Pseudonereis trimaculata, pharynx everted; body width about 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Nereis coutieiri, A, anterior end, dorsal view; B, anterior parapodium; C, mid-body parapodium; D, posterior parapodium; E, notopodial homogomph falciger, posterior parapodium; F, neuropodial heterogomph falciger, anterior parapodium.