Perinereis cultrifera ( Grube, 1840 )

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 : 54

Perinereis cultrifera ( Grube, 1840)

( Fig. 4 A–F)

Nereis cultrifera Grube, 1840: 74 , fig. 6.

Perinereis cultrifera . — Aziz, 1938: 29, fig. 28; Fauvel, 1953: 208; Day, 1962: 19; Day, 1967: 337, fig. 14.13 o–q; Ben-Elahiu, 1972: 192; Hutchings, Reid & Wilson, 1991: 253, fig. 8 a–c.

Material examined. Iran, Gulf of Oman, Djod, 4 specimens ( ZUTC Ann. 1107), Chabahar, Shahid beheshti wharf, 2 specimens ( ZUTC Ann. 1147), Ramin, 5 specimens ( ZUTC Ann. 1148), Gwater, 5 specimens ( ZUTC Ann. 1149).

Description. Material examined 50–70 mm long, 90–120 chaetigers, 1.5–3 mm wide at chaetiger 10 (excluding parapodia), jaws have 4 denticles, prostomium with entire anterior margin. Longest tentacular cirri extending back to chaetiger 7–9. Paragnaths on maxillary ring arranged as follows: I = 2 conical paragnaths, II = 5–7 conical paragnaths, III = 9–12, IV = 10–27 conical paragnaths. Paragnaths on oral ring arranged as follows: V = 3 conical paragnaths, VI = 1 large bar, VII–VIII = 24–26 in two or three irregular rows ( Fig. 4 A, B). Anterior notopodia have two equal rounded ligules, dorsal cirrus longer than dorsal ligule, anterior neuropodia have equal ligules ( Fig. 4 C). Posterior notopodial ligules become pointed and dorsal cirrus longer than dorsal ligule, posterior neuropodia is similar to anterior neuropodia ( Fig. 4 D). Notochaetae all homogomph spinigers. Neurochaetae are heterogomph falcigers and heterogomph and homogomph spinigers ( Fig. 4 E, F).

Remarks. Perinereis cultrifera was originally described from Naples, Mediterranean Sea and has since been reported from most oceans of the world. The syntypes were redescribed by Hutchings et al. (1991) and the material examined here matches closely the description given by these authors. The present material also resembles Day’s (1967) description of specimens from Madagascar to South Africa. Fauvel (1919, 1932, 1953) recorded and described this species from India, and introduced varieties of it, including P. cultrifera var. typica , which the present material most closely resembles. This species has also been recorded from the Israel coast of the South Red Sea by Day (1962); however, it differs from P. cultrifera from the Gulf of Oman in having short tentacular cirri, conical paragnaths in area V that are arranged in a line and Area I with 3– 4 paragnaths.

Regional distribution and habitat. Rocky, coral, sandy, boulder shores and under stones at low tide in Gulf of Oman (Djod, Ramin, Chabahar, Gwater). Also Persian Gulf ( Table 2 ).

World distribution. Cosmopolitan. Naples, Italy (type locality); Mediterranean Sea; English Channel; Red Sea; Indo-west Pacific.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Perinereis cultrifera, A, anterior end, dorsal view showing everted proboscis; B, ventral view of same; C, anterior parapodium; D, posterior parapodium; E, neuropodial heterogomph falciger, anterior parapodium; F, neuropodial homogomph spiniger, anterior parapodium.