Marphysa moribidii, Idris & Hutchings & Arshad, 2014

Idris, Izwandy, Hutchings, Pat & Arshad, Aziz, 2014, Description of a new species of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and comparisons with species from Marphysa Group A from the Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 71, pp. 109-121 : 117-118

Characteristics Marphysa moribidii Eunice (Marphysa) Nauphanta Marphysa cf.

sp. nov. (present mossambica novaehollandiae mossambica (sensu study) (Lectotype; Fauchald ( Marphysa cf. Glasby and

1987 and present mossambica (sensu Hutchings, 2010)

study) Fauchald 1987))

MxIV (number of teeth; 4 (7) + 8 (4–5) + (8–9) left + right)

MxV (number of teeth; 1 + 1 1 + 1

left + right)

Branchiae – first chaetiger 35 (4 – 63) (30 – 49) emergesa

Branchiae – last chaetiger About 20 chaetigers About 20 – 25 emerges before pygidium chaetigers before pygidium

Branchiae – max. 11 (14) 6

filamentsa

? + 8

? + 1

30 (14 – 46)

Not mentioned About 20 – 25 chaetigers before pygidium

6 6

Post-chaetal lobe – shape First chaetiger: Pre- and post-chaetal Low and broad Low and broad anteriorly sub-conical but lobes continuous around gradually becoming dorsal edge of subtriangular, low and neuropodium broad and slightly bilobed after chaetiger 100

Pectinate chaetae – first Present from chaetiger 5 Present on mid-body Present beginning from Present on first few presenta (3) chaetigers (~100) the mid-section towards chaetigers posterior

Pectinate chaetae – Four types – Three types of Pectinate Asymmetrical pectinate symmetrya 1. Symmetrical, narrow asymmetrical (no. (symmetrical?) on chaetae throughout shaft with thin teeth teeth): anterior segment and (~30) 1. Coarse teeth (~30) fan chaetae 2. Asymmetrical with with broad shaft (asymmetrical?) on thinner teeth (>30) and 2.Thinner teeth (~30) posterior segments broad shaft with narrow shaft 3. Asymmetrical with 3. Wide body with wide thinner teeth (<30) with teeth (~8) narrow shaft 4. Wide body with wide teeth (~8)

Pectinate chaetae: no. of 21 Not mentioned teeth (anterior)

Pectinate chaetae – no. of 44 Up to 50 teeth teeth (midbody and posterior chaetigers)

Pectinate chaetae – no. (1 – 6) (1 – 10)

per parapodiaa

Not mentioned (15 – 25)

Fan chaetae – ~35 teeth (30 – 40)

No info on pectinate (0 – 2) chaetae, but fan chaetae are ≥ 2

Biology and ecology. Marphysa moribidii sp. nov. is dioecious and iteroparous. This can be seen by the presence of oocytes of varying sizes in every month (Idris et al., in prep.). Sexual dimorphism is not present in M. moribidii sp. nov. The population at the type locality (Morib mangrove) (fig. 1) is unevenly distributed and can be found down to depths of about 450 mm from the surface in the mangrove area with Rhizophora apiculata , Avicennia alba and Sonneratia caseolaris . The new species is a sub-surface deposit feeder based on analysis of its intestinal contents (Idris et al., in prep.).

Distribution. Along the Straits of Malacca, Singapore, in the mangrove area with Rhizophora spp. , Avicennia alba and Sonneratia caseolaris .

Economic exploitation. M. moribidii sp. nov. is one of the polychaete species harvested as bait worms in Peninsular Malaysia ( Idris and Arshad, 2013). The species is harvested and sold in Malaysian states along the Straits of Malacca, except Perlis. Five to ten individuals of M. moribidii sp. nov. (mostly incomplete) are sold for MYR10 (~ US $3). Although the M. moribidii sp. nov. fishery is currently unregulated and undocumented, selling of this species is believed to have been conducted for many years. Most bait diggers harvest the species either on a part-time basis (mainly on weekends due to low demand on weekdays, except for school and public holidays) or for personal use. Some bait diggers also sell worms to fishing shops or are contracted by them to collect the worms. Fortunately, harvesting and selling of M. moribidii sp. nov. is very localized since the worms do not live outside their natural habitat for a long period (2 – 3 days), and coelomic fluid from broken specimens has been found to accelerate the mortality of other worms when packed together (pers. obs.).