Aglaophamus australiensis ( Fauchald, 1965 )

Dixon-Bridges, Kylie, Gladstone, William & Hutchings, Pat, 2014, One new species of Micronephthys Friedrich, 1939 and one new species of Nephtys Cuvier, 1817 (Polychaeta: Phyllodocida: Nephtyidae) from eastern Australia with notes on Aglaophamus australiensis (Fauchald, 1965) and a key to all Australian species, Zootaxa 3872 (5), pp. 513-540 : 537

Aglaophamus australiensis ( Fauchald, 1965)

Nephtys australiensis Fauchald, 1965: 334 –335, figs 6.1–2.—Hutchings, 1974: 180.— Hutchings and Recher, 1974: 105, 108. Nephtys gravieri .— Augener, 1927: 116.— Rullier, 1965: 18 (non Augener, 1913).

Aglaophamus australiensis .— Ravara et al., 2010a: 401 –402.

Remarks. Ravara et al. (2010a) undertook a phylogenetic analysis of the family Nephtyidae using both morphological and molecular data. They found that Nephtys australiensis was embedded within Aglaophamus and formally transferred this species to Aglaophamus . The branchiae in A. australiensis are poorly developed but slightly recurved which explains why Fauchald (1965) originally described this species, common in estuarine and shallow protected bays in eastern Australia, as belonging to the genus Nephtys . The shape of branchiae and their development has until Ravara et al. (2010a) been the main character used to separate genera; involute ( Aglaophamus , Inermonephtys ), recurved ( Nephtys , Dentinephtys ) or absent or poorly developed ( Micronephthys ), although other characters have also been used. The inclusion of N. australiensis in the Aglaophamus clade indicates the homoplasy in the shape and development of branchiae. They found the only morphological apomorphies for the genus Aglaophamus were acutely pointed acicular lobes and finely spinulated postacicular chaetae although Dnestrovskaya and Jirkov (2011) have recorded the presence of spinose chaetae (same as spinulated of Ravara et al. 2010a) in A. malmgreni ( Théel, 1879) so this apomorphy needs to be revisited and shows the need to examine nephtyid chaetae under the SEM to clarify the ornamentation of the capillary blades. Ravara et al. (2010a) also suggest that other characters such as the presence or absence of lyrate chaetae, arrangement of papillae on the pharynx and shape of nuchal organs should also be taken into account. Ravara et al. (2010a) also provides a table of the diagnostic characters for the five genera which they accept as valid for the family.

We have included notes on this new placement of A. australiensis ( Fauchald, 1965) as this study provides a key to all species of Australian nephtyids, and we suggest that the transfer in Ravara et al.’s (2010a) is somewhat hidden within a phylogenetic revision of this family.

This species is widespread in estuarine sites in eastern Australia, which are fully marine except after heavy rain (see comments in Hutchings 1999). While N. longipes may occur in the same estuary this species occurs closer to the seaward entrance than A. australiensis .