Nereis

Glasby, Christopher J., 2015, Nereididae (Annelida: Phyllodocida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Zootaxa 4019 (1), pp. 207-239 : 221

Nereis sp. cf. N. coutieri Gravier, 1899

( Fig. 3A –C)

Nereis coutieri Gravier, 1899: 237 –240, figs 6–11.

Material examined. AM: W.43788, MI QLD 2337 (1); W.43784-T (2), MI QLD 2329; W.43821, MI QLD 2352 (1); W.43828, MI QLD 2337 (1); W.43832-T, MI QLD 2359 (3); W.43823, MI QLD 2354 (4); W.43820-T, MI QLD 2352 (2); W.47560, MI QLD 2335 (1); W.44502, MI QLD 2413 (1); W.47570, MI QLD 2352 (1);W.43797-T, MI QLD 2335 (1). NTM: W22570 (1), SW of Palfrey Island, 14°41.65'S 145°24.49'E, coll. M. Ekins, 13 Apr 2008; W23921 (1), Turtle Beach, 14°39.153'S 145°27.042'E, coll. CReefs Lizard 10 Team, 7 Sep 2010; W23937 (1), 14°44.718'S 145°30.2939'E, coll. CReefs Lizard 10 Team, 26 Sep 2010; W23982 (1), 14°16.2954'S 145°18.0929'E, coll. CReefs Lizard 10 Team, 25 Feb 2009.

Diagnosis. Nereis species with overall red-brown colour and white spots on dorsum, parapodia and base of postero-dorsal tentacular cirri (white pigment shows green fluorescence at 510–540 nm ( Fig 3A –C)); few paragnaths in Area VII–VIII, arranged in one line; dorsal notopodial ligule about 1/2 size of the ventral notopodial ligule; smooth-bladed, distally-pointed notopodial homogomph falcigers.

Remarks. This species belongs to a group of Nereis having few paragnaths in Area VII–VIII arranged in one line, and the dorsal notopodial ligule smaller than the ventral notopodial ligule anteriorly, and the dorsal notopodial ligule very reduced posteriorly (note that the size of the dorsal notopodial ligule is size dependent in nereidids, and therefore a difficult character to use to discriminate species – see also account of N. lizardensis ). Other species in this group are Nereis heirssonensis , N. cirriseta and N. bifida . Nereis coutieri differs from these other species in having smooth-bladed, distally-pointed notopodial homogomph falcigers.

Possibly the material from Lizard Island represents a new species as it shows some differences from the type description of N. coutieri , including body pigmentation (a broad brown cross on the dorsal surface of chaetiger 2 in the latter, but overall red-brown colour and white spots dorsally in the former), and the dorsal notopodial ligule is about the same size as the ventral notopodial ligule in the type description but about 1/2 size of the ventral notopodial ligule in the present material.

Habitat. Fore-reef and reef slope.

Type locality. Red Sea.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. Nereis cf. coutieri AM W. 43784, alive, lateral view; B. N. cf. coutieri AM W. 43832, alive, fluorescence image at 510 – 540 nm using DsRed fluorophore barrier filter, dorsal view; C. N. cf. coutieri NTM W 22570, preserved, antero-dorsal view; D. N. lizardensis AM W. 43798, alive, immature, dorsal view; E. N. lizardensis AM W. 44498, alive, fluorescence image at 510 – 540 nm using DsRed fluorophore barrier filter, dorsal view; F. N. lizardensis AM W. 44506, alive, mature male, dorsal view; G. N. lizardensis AM W. 44505, alive, mature female, dorsal view; H. N. trifasciata AM W. 43814, alive, dorsal view. Photo: Alexander Semenov (A, D, F – H). Approximate body widths: A: 0.8 mm; B: 0.7 mm; C: 0.3 mm; D: 0.9 mm; E: 1.0 mm; F: 2.3 mm; G: 2.4 mm; H: 2.0 mm.