Eunice tubifex Crossland, 1904

Zanol, Joana, Hutchings, Pat A. & Fauchald, Kristian, 2020, Eunice sensu latu (Annelida: Eunicidae) from Australia: description of seven new species and comments on previously reported species of the genera Eunice, Leodice and Nicidion, Zootaxa 4748 (1), pp. 1-43 : 21

Eunice tubifex Crossland, 1904

Eunice tubifex Fauchald 1992: 327 .

Remarks. Originally described from Zanzibar (West Indian Ocean), Eunice tubifex has been widely reported from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales ( Day & Hutchings 1979). However, all material examined turned out to belong to the similar species E. impexa (e.g., AM W.197058, W.9071, W.197059, W.201407, W.3528, W.5945, W.197057, W.197060, W.197831). Some records may also be of E. cultrifera n. sp. All three species have cultriform (spinigerous) compound chaetae anteriorly replaced by bidentate compound chaetae in median and posterior chaetigers. Eunice tubifex has single subacicular hooks in most chaetigers; E. impexa has two or three subacicular hooks in a vertical row in very nearly all chaetigers. We therefore suggest that this species does not occur in Australian waters.