Perinereis helleri (Grube, 1878)

Pamungkas, Joko & Glasby, Christopher J., 2015, Taxonomy of reproductive Nereididae (Annelida) in multispecies swarms at Ambon Island, Indonesia, ZooKeys 520, pp. 1-25 : 10-11

Perinereis helleri (Grube, 1878) Fig. 6A, B

Nereis (Perinereis) helleri Grube, 1878: 81-82

Perinereis cultrifera . - Martens et al. 1995: 15. Not Grube.

Perinereis helleri . - Hutchings et al. 1991: 254-255, fig. 9a-c.

Type locality.

Bohol, Philippines.

Material examined.

4 males (RCLA.Ann.001), 2 females (RCLA. Ann. 002), Alang, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°46'18.2"S, 128°00'24.6"E, coll. J. Pamungkas, 19 March 2014 ; 6 males (RCLA.Ann.003), 6 females (RCLA. Ann. 004), Hutumuri, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°41'27.5"S, 128°17'56.3"E, coll. E. Moniharapon, 19 March 2014 ; 1 female (RCLA. Ann. 005), Mahia, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°44'42.6"S, 128°11'24.6"E, coll. A.S. Leatemia, 18 March 2014 ; 11 males (RCLA.Ann.006), 10 females (RCLA. Ann. 007), Airlouw, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°46'32.5"S, 128°07'53.5"E, coll. F. E. de Soysa, 19 March 2014 ; 5 males (MZB.Pol.00163), 5 females (MZB. Pol. 00164), Airlouw, Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°46'32.5"S, 128°07'53.5"E, coll. F. E. de Soysa, 19 March 2014 ; 2 males (NTM W23794 ) , 2 females (NTM W23795 ), Alang , Ambon Island, Indonesia 3°46'18.2"S, 128°00'24.6"E, coll. J. Pamungkas, 14 March 2009 ; 2 males (NTM W23799 ) , 1 female (NTM W23800 ), Airlouw , Ambon Island, Indonesia, 3°46'32.5"S, 128°07'53.5"E, coll. J. Pamungkas, 14 March 2009 ; 5 ex. (specimens extracted from a jar of many hundred worms in the collection of Naturalis , Leiden); Fig. 2 (RMNH unreg.), Ambon Island, coll. D.S. Hoedt , 1866.

Size range.

Male: length (25-47 mm), maximum width (3.0-6.0 mm). Female: length (28-70 mm), maximum width (4.0-6.0 mm).

Diagnosis.

Large Perinereis species having brown streaky pigmentation on dorsal surface (Fig. 6A, B). Paragnaths conical arranged as follows: Areas I: 2-3; II: 6-10; III: 14-18 (including lateral groups); IV: 17-24; V: 3; VI: 1 bar; VII-VIII: 25-30. Male and female epitokes with similar body pigmentation and natatory region extending to pygidium, but differ in number of pre-natatory chaetigers and number modified dorsal and ventral cirri. Male has pre-natatory region comprising 17 chaetigers; basally swollen dorsal cirri on chaetigers 1 to 7; basally swollen ventral cirri on chaetigers 1 to 6. Female has pre-natatory region comprising 19-20 chaetigers; basally swollen dorsal cirri on chaetigers 1 to 6; basally swollen ventral cirri on chaetigers 1 to 5. Also male has pygidial rosette, and scalloped dorsal cirri; lacking in female.

Remarks.

The specimens examined in this study agree well the re-description of Hutchings et al. (1991) of this species. This is one of the largest of the wawo nereidids. The specimens reported as Perineris cultrifera by Martens et al. (1995) are most likely Perineris helleri , as they fit well the paragnath number and pattern described here for this species (see also Hutchings et al. 1991), although there is a discrepancy in the number of anterior unmodified chaetigers: Martens et al. (1995) report this as 14 and 18 (male and female respectively), but our observations for this species are 17 and 19-20 (ditto). We believe Martens et al. may have confused Perineris helleri with Perineris nigropunctata , which were also found in their samples, as the latter has about 14 and 17 anterior unmodified chaetigers for male and female respectively (see following account).

Distribution.

Indo-Pacific (widespread).