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| Perinereis kaustiana Teixeira, Fourreau, Sempere-Valverde & Carvalho, 2024 |
Abstract
Annelid biodiversity studies in the Red Sea are limited and integrative taxonomy is needed to accurately improve reference libraries in the region. As part of the bioblitz effort in Saudi Arabia to assess the invertebrate biodiversity in the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba, Perinereis specimens from intertidal marine and lagoon-like rocky environments were selected for an independent assessment, given the known taxonomic ambiguities in this genus. This study used an integrative approach, combining molecular with morphological and geographic data. Our results demonstrate that specimens found mainly in the Gulf of Aqaba are not only morphologically different from other five similar Perinereis Group I species reported in the region, but phylogenetic analysis using available COI sequences from GenBank revealed different molecular operational taxonomic units, suggesting an undescribed species, P. kaustiana sp. nov. The new species is genetically close and shares a similar paragnath pattern to the Indo-Pacific distributed P. helleri, in particular in Area III and Areas VII–VIII. Therefore, we suggest it may belong to the same species complex. However, P. kaustiana sp. nov. differs from the latter mainly in the shorter length of the postero-dorsal tentacular cirri, median parapodia with much longer dorsal Tentacular cirri, posteriormost parapodia with much wider and greatly expanded dorsal ligules. Additionally, two new records are reported for the Saudi Neom area belonging to P. damietta and P. suezensis, previously described only for the Egyptian coast (Suez Canal) and are distributed sympatrically with the new species, but apparently not sympatric with each other.
Key words: Gulf of Aqaba, mtCOI-5P, NEOM, north-eastern Red Sea, Polychaeta, Saudi Arabia, taxonomy
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| Perinereis kaustiana sp. nov. All pictures are from the holotype (NTNU-VM-86011) if not stated otherwise A anterior end, prostomium, dorsal view B anterior end, prostomium, ventral view C jaws and respective jaw canals (JC), dorsal view D pharynx, maxillary ring (Areas III and IV), ventral view; black arrows, lateral patches with two paragnaths each E pharynx, oral ring (Areas VI), dorsal view F pharynx, maxillary ring (Areas I and II), dorsal view G pharynx, oral ring (Areas VII–VIII), ventral view; black arrows, furrow regions; white arrows, ridge regions H posterior end; white arrows, pygidial Tentacular cirri, paratype (NTNU-VM-86015) I anterior body, tentacular cirri reaching chaetiger 9, paratype (NTNU-VM-86015) J worm’s eyes, right side, paratype (NTNU-VM-86015). Abbreviations: chaet., chaetiger; Pyg., Pygidium. Scale bars: 500 μm (A, B, I); 250 μm (E, F, H); 100 μm (D, G); 125 μm (J); 75 μm (C). |
Family Nereididae Blainville, 1818
Genus Perinereis Kinberg, 1865
Perinereis kaustiana sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Four pairs of tentacular cirri, postero-dorsal one reaching chaetiger 7–9; ratio of DPCL / HL = 3.6×. Eversible pharynx with one pair of dark brown curved jaws with seven or eight denticles; two longitudinal canals emerging from the pulp cavity, both in the mid-section of the jaw. Pharynx consisting of maxillary and oral rings with conical shaped paragnaths. Maxillary ring: Area I = 2 small paragnaths arranged in a longitudinal line. Area II = Cluster of 5–7 small paragnaths. Area III = central patch of nine small paragnaths, lateral patches with two small paragnaths each. Area IV = 13 small paragnaths arranged in wedge shape without any bars. Oral ring: Area V = a triangle of three large paragnaths. Area VI (a+b) = two narrow bar-shaped ...
Etymology: The species designation pays tribute to the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, a globally recognized graduate-level research institution. This naming honours KAUST’s substantial and enduring contributions to marine science, particularly in advancing our understanding of the Red Sea over the course of more than a decade. Through its dedicated research efforts, KAUST has significantly enriched the scientific community’s knowledge of this unique marine environment.
Marcos A. L. Teixeira, Chloé Julie Loïs Fourreau, Juan Sempere-Valverde and Susana Carvalho. 2024. Two New Records and Description of A New Perinereis (Annelida, Nereididae) Species for the Saudi Arabian Red Sea Region. ZooKeys. 1196: 331-354. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1196.115260
