Neanthes sp. cf. Neanthes gisserana (Horst, 1924)

Pamungkas, Joko & Glasby, Christopher J., 2015, Taxonomy of reproductive Nereididae (Annelida) in multispecies swarms at Ambon Island, Indonesia, ZooKeys 520, pp. 1-25 : 7-8

Neanthes sp. cf. Neanthes gisserana (Horst, 1924) Fig. 4C, D

Nereis (Lycoris) gisserana Horst, 1924: 151-152, pl. 30, figs 6, 7.

Material examined.

5 males (RCLA.Ann.031), 3 females (RCLA. Ann. 032), Suli, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°37'38.2"S, 128°18'25.0"E, coll. R. Alik, 18 March 2014 ; 1 male (RCLA.Ann.033), 1 female (RCLA. Ann. 034), Suli, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°37'38.2"S, 128°18'25.0"E, coll. R. Alik, 19 March 2014 ; 3 males (RCLA.Ann.035), 2 females (RCLA. Ann. 036), Mahia, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°44'42.6"S, 128°11'24.6"E, coll. A.S. Leatemia, 18 March 2014 ; 2 males (RCLA. Ann. 037), Mahia, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°44'42.6"S, 128°11'24.6"E, coll. A.S. Leatemia, 19 March 2014 ; 2 males (MZB.Pol.00167), 2 females (MZB. Pol. 00168), Suli, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°37'38.2"S, 128°18'25.0"E, coll. R. Alik, 18 March 2014 ; 1 male (NTM W23797 ), Alang , Ambon Island, Indonesia 3°46'18.2"S, 128°00'24.6"E, coll. J. Pamungkas, 14 March 2009 ; 1 female (specimen extracted from a jar of many hundred worms in the collection of Naturalis , Leiden); Fig. 2 (NTM W23804 ), Ambon Island, Indonesia, coll. D.S. Hoedt , 1866.

Comparative material.

Neanthes gisserana (Horst, 1924). Syntypes 2 ex. (ZMA VPol 0854), Siboga Stn. 172, Gisser anchorage, between this island and Seram-Laut, Maluku, Indonesia, 18 m, coll. 26 August 1899. Neanthes cf gisserana . 1 ex. (NTM W22501 ), Lizard Island , northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, coll. CREEFS surveys 2008-2010 .

Size range.

Male: length (16-25 mm), maximum width (2.0-4.0 mm). Female: length (16-32 mm), maximum width (3.0-4.0 mm).

Diagnosis.

Neanthes species having brown band on dorsal surface of chaetiger 4 (Fig. 4C, D). Paragnaths comprise cones and bars arranged as follows: Areas I: 4 (in a longitudinal line); II: 14; III: 19-22 (including lateral groups); IV: 26 (includes cones and bars); V: 0; VI: 3-6; VII-VIII: 5-7 in transverse line. Male and female epitokes with similar body pigmentation and natatory region extending to pygidium, but differ in number of pre-natatory chaetigers and number modified dorsal and ventral cirri. Male having pre-natatory region comprising 21-22 chaetigers; basally swollen dorsal cirri on chaetigers 1 to 7; basally swollen ventral cirri on chaetigers 1 to 5 or 6. Female having pre-natatory region comprising 26 chaetigers; basally swollen dorsal cirri on chaetigers 1 to 6; basally swollen ventral cirri on chaetigers 1 to 5. Also, male has pygidial rosette (Fig. 4C) and sub-distally swollen (not scalloped) dorsal cirri, lacking in female.

Remarks.

The specimens examined in this study were compared with Horst's, syntypes, which they resemble closely, especially in the paragnath count and pattern; however, the present specimens are much larger than those of Horst’s, the modified chaetigers start later in the present specimens, and Horst does not mention the presence of a brown band which we observed on chaetiger 4. Therefore our material possibly represents a new species; it is very similar to specimens also referred to as Neanthes sp. cf Neanthes gisserana by Glasby (2015).