Pseudonereis rottnestiana ( Augener, 1913 )

Hadiyanto, Hadiyanto, 2023, Nereididae (Annelida: Phyllodocida) from intertidal macroalgae in Western Australia, Zootaxa 5239 (2), pp. 151-203 : 183-195

Pseudonereis rottnestiana ( Augener, 1913) reinstated

Fig. 18A–E

Nereis (Pseudonereis) rottnestiana Augener, 1913: 184–187 , fig. 20a–c, pl. 3 fig. 46u.

Pseudonereis rottnestiana .— Fauvel 1932: 112; Hartman 1954: 12, 17.

Pseudonereis rottnestiana forma seriodentata.— Hartmann-Schröder 1979: 118–119, figs 216–219; Hartmann-Schröder 1980: 61, figs 62–63.

Type locality. Green Island, Rottnest , Western Australia .

Material examined. Western Australia: Gnaraloo , 23°45′48.13″S 113°33′32.51″E, 21 September 2020, 2 specimens ( WAM V11692 ) . Gnaraloo , 23°45′48.13″S 113°33′32.51″E, 21 September 2020, female epitoke, 1 specimen ( WAM V11693 ) . Gnaraloo , 23°46′21.83″S 113°32′09.24″E, 22 September 2020, 1 specimen ( WAM V11694 ) . Three Mile , 23°52′32.41″S 113°29′38.72″E, 23 September 2020, 2 specimens ( WAM V11695 ) . Kalbarri , 27°43′17.09″S 114° 9′11.39″E, 15 November 2020, 2 specimens ( WAM V11696 ) .

Description. Complete specimens with 48–74 chaetigers, body 14.6–26.4 mm long and 1.3–2.1 mm wide; cream yellow to reddish brown in alcohol. Incomplete specimens with 29–35 chaetigers, posterior end missing, remaining body 10.6–18.5 mm long and 0.9–1.9 mm wide; cream yellow to reddish brown in alcohol.

Prostomium as long as wide. Eyes black, two pairs, equal size, in trapezoidal arrangement. Palps one pair, palpophores globose, palpostyles conical. Antennae one pair, shorter than palps. Tentacular cirri four pairs with basal articulation, longest ones extending to chaetiger 2–5. Pharyngeal jaws black, curved at tips, with eight teeth on each jaw. Paragnaths present on maxillary and oral rings, arranged as follows: Area I= 0–2 cones, Area II= 14–26 p-bars in 2–4 rows, Area III= 10–49 p-bars in 3–4 rows, Area IV= 27–32 p-bars in 5–6 rows, Area V= 0, Area VI= 5–12 cones in 1–2 rows, Areas VII–VIII= alternating 14–17 paragnaths, combination of cones and p-bars ( Fig. 18A–B ).

Apodous segment slightly longer than first chaetiger. First two chaetigers uniramous. Notopodia present with conical dorsal and ventral ligules, those ligules become subconical in posterior chaetigers, dorsal ligules prolonged in posterior chaetigers. Dorsal cirri cirriform, attached on middle of dorsal parapodia, about three times longer than dorsal ligules, similar length throughout chaetigers. Neuropodia with conical ventral ligules, acicular ligules, and triangular postchaetal lobes extending to same level of acicular ligule tips; ventral ligules become subconical in posterior chaetigers. Ventral cirri cirriform, attached basally on ventral parapodia, slightly longer than ventral ligules, similar length throughout chaetigers ( Fig. 18C ).

Notochaetae present with homogomph spinigers. Neurochaetae present with homogomph spinigers ( Fig. 18D ) and heterogomph falcigers in dorsal fascicles, heterogomph falcigers ( Fig. 18E ) in ventral fascicles. All spinigerous blades long, with fine serrations. Falcigerous blades short, with fine serrations. Acicula black. Pygidium with anus on dorsal side, with slender anal cirri, as long as last six chaetigers.

An incomplete, female epitokous specimen with 60 chaetigers, posterior end missing, remaining body 17.9 mm long and 2.4 mm wide; cream yellow in alcohol. Specimen present with black, enlarged, overlapping paired eyes, in rectangular arrangement. Body divided into 16 pre-natatory chaetigers and 44 natatory chaetigers; pre-natatory chaetigers longer than natatory chaetigers.All parapodial ligules and lobes modified into large, flat lamella in natatory chaetigers. Dorsal and ventral cirri unmodified but developing small basal lamella from chaetiger 15 (two chaetigers before natatory chaetigers); lamella larger in natatory chaetigers. Paddle-shaped notochaetae in natatory chaetigers.

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Remarks. Pseudonereis rottnestiana has been synonymised with P. anomala by Bakken (2007) because he found no morphological evidence of difference (however, he noted that all notopodial chaetae in the original specimen of P. rottnestiana were broken). However, based on our observations of the specimens at hand, we agree with Fauvel (1932) and Hartman (1954) that P. rottnestiana differs from P. anomala due to the absence of notopodial homogomph falcigers, and herein reinstate the species. Hartmann-Schröder (1979) reported two forms: P. rottnestiana forma seriodentata and P. rottnestiana forma costatodentata. According to Bakken (2007), the first form completely agrees with the original description of P. rottnestiana ( Hartmann-Schröder 1979) and the latter form was synonymised with P. trimaculata ( Horst, 1924) . Tentacular cirri of our specimens are shorter than those of materials examined by Augener (1913) and Fauvel (1932).

Distribution. Indo-Australian: Andaman, Western Australia, South Australia ( Table 2 ).

Habitat. Intertidal, subtidal, rocky shores ( Table 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Pseudonereis rottnestiana (Augener, 1913) (WAM V11696); A, head, dorsal view; B, head, ventral view; C, parapodium, chaetiger 35, anterior view; D, neurochaetae, dorsal fascicle, homogomph spiniger, chaetiger 35; E, neurochaetae, ventral fascicle, heterogomph falciger, chaetiger 35. Scale: A–B, 1 mm; C, 0.1 mm; D–E, 0.02 mm.