Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-01
Page range: 101-118
Abstract views: 53
PDF downloaded: 1

A new species of Polyophthalmus from NW Africa and re-establishment of P. papillatus Treadwell, 1943 (Annelida: Opheliidae) based upon type material

Departamento de Bioloxía; Facultade de Ciencias; Universidade da Coruña; Rúa da Fraga 10; E-15008; A Coruña; Spain
Univ. Bordeaux; CNRS; Bordeaux INP; EPOC; UMR 5805; F-33120 Arcachon; France
Univ. Bordeaux; CNRS; Bordeaux INP; EPOC; UMR 5805; F-33120 Arcachon; France
Departamento de Biología (Zoología) & Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM); Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Campus de Cantoblanco; E-28049; Madrid; Spain
Annelida Polychaeta Taxonomy SEM 16S gene Mauritania

Abstract

During a biodiversity survey in the Banc d’Arguin National Park in Mauritania, a new species of Polyophthalmus has been collected. The taxon is described based on morphological observations but a 16S sequence is also provided. The closest species, P. papillatus Treadwell, 1943, traditionally considered a junior synonym of the type species of the genus P. pictus (Dujardin, 1839), is redescribed from the examination of type material and re-established as a valid species. The diversity of genus Polyophthalmus in the Atlantic Ocean is reviewed.

 

References

  1. Augener, H. (1922) Ueber litorale Polychaeten von Westindien. Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschende Freunde zur Berlin, 1922 (3–5), 38–53.
  2. Blake, J.A. & Maciolek, N.J. (2020) 7.6.1 Opheliidae Malmgren, 1867. In: Schmidt-Rhaesa, A. (Ed.), Handbook of Zoology. Annelida: Pleistoannelida, Sedentaria II. De Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 285–302. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110291681-008
  3. Claparède, É. (1864) Glanures zootomiques parmi les annélides de Port-Vendres (Pyrénées Orientales). Mémoires de la Société de Physique et d’Histoire Naturelle de Genève, 17 (2), 463–600, pls. I–VIII. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.14827
  4. Claparède, É. (1869 (1870)) Les Annélides Chétopodes du Golfe de Naples. Supplément. Mémoires de la Société de physique et d’histoire naturelle de Genève, 20 (2), 365–542. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.2142
  5. Czerniavsky, V. (1881) Materialia ad zoographiam Ponticam comparatam. Fasc. III Vermes [Second part]. Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 56 (2), 338–420.
  6. Day, J.H. (1967) A monograph on the Polychaeta of Southern Africa. Part 2. Sedentaria. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, 458 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.8596
  7. Dujardin, F. (1839) Observations sur quelques Annélides marines. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Paris, 11, 287–294.
  8. Fauvel, P. (1907) Première note préliminaire sur les Polychètes provenant des campagnes de l’Hirondelle et de la Princesse-Alice ou déposées dans le Musée Océanographique de Monaco. Bulletin de l’Institute océanographique, 107, 1–34.
  9. Fauvel, P. (1914) Annélides Polychètes non pélagiques provenant des campagnes de l’Hirondelle et de la Princesse Alice (1885-1910). Résultats des Campagnes Scientifiques accomplies sur son yacht par Albert Ier Prince Souverain de Monaco, 46, 1–432.
  10. Fauvel, P. (1916) Annélides Polychètes pélagiques provenant des campagnes de l’Hirondelle et de la Princesse Alice (1885-1910). Résultats des Campagnes Scientifiques accomplies sur son yacht par Albert Ier Prince Souverain de Monaco, 48, 1–152. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.48837
  11. Fauvel, P. (1925) Sur les Ophéliens des côtes de France. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 50, 77–88.
  12. Fauvel, P. (1927) Faune de France. Vol. 16. Polychètes Sédentaires. Paul Lechevalier, Paris, 494 pp.
  13. Hartman, O. (1956) Polychaetous annelids erected by Treadwell, 1891 to 1948, together with a brief chronology. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 109 (2), 239–310.
  14. Hartman, O. (1959) Catalogue of the polychaetous annelids of the world. Parts 1 and 2. Allan Hancock Foundation Occasional Paper, 23, 1–628.
  15. Hutchings, P.A. & Murray, A. (1984) Taxonomy of polychaetes from the Hawkesbury River and the southern estuaries of New South Wales, Australia. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 3, 1–118. https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0812-7387.3.1984.101
  16. ICZN (1999) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. 4th Edition. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London, xxix + 306 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.50608
  17. Keppel, E., Keith, I., Ruiz, G.M. & Carlton, J.T. (2019) New records of native and non-indigenous polychaetes (Annelida: Polychaeta) in the Galapagos Islands. Aquatic Invasions, 14 (1), 59–84. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2019.14.1.03
  18. Magalhães, W.F., Rizzo, A.E. & Bailey-Brock, J.H. (2019) Opheliidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the western Pacific islands, including five new species. Zootaxa, 4555 (2), 209–235. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4555.2.3
  19. McIntosh, W.C. (1908) A monograph of the British Annelids. Vol. 2. Part. I. Polychaeta. Nephtyididae to Syllidae. Ray Society, London, 232 pp.
  20. McIntosh, W.C. (1915) A monograph of the British Annelids. Vol. 3. Part I. Polychaeta. Opheliidae to Ammocharidae. Ray Society, London, 366 pp.
  21. Palumbi, S.R. (1996) Nucleic acid II: the polymerase chain reaction. In: Hillis, D.M., Moritz, G. & Mable, B. (Eds,), Molecular systematics. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts, pp. 205–247.
  22. Parapar, J., Al-Kandari, M., Candás, M. & Moreira, J. (2021a) A new species of Polyophthalmus (Annelida, Opheliidae) from the Arabian Gulf, with an insight on internal anatomy and diversity of the genus. Zootaxa, 5052 (4), 501–528. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5052.4.3
  23. Parapar, J., Martínez, A. & Moreira, J. (2021b) On the Systematics and Biodiversity of the Opheliidae and Scalibregmatidae. Diversity, 13, 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/d13020087
  24. Purschke, G., Ding, Z. & Müller, M.C. (1995) Ultrastructural differences as a taxonomic marker: the segmental ocelli of Polyophthalmus pictus and Polyophthalmus qingdaoensis sp.n. (Polychaeta, Opheliidae). Zoomorphology, 115, 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393803
  25. Quatrefages, A. de (1850) Études sur les types inferieurs de l’embranchement des Annelés. Mémoire sur la famille des Polyphthalmiens (Polyphthalmea Nob.). Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Paris, Séries 3, 13, 5–46.
  26. Quatrefages, A. de (1866) Histoire naturelle des Annelés marins et d’eau douce. Annélides et Géphyriens. Volume 2. Première partie. Libraire Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris, 336 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.122818
  27. Read, G. & Fauchald, K. (Eds.) (2025a) World Polychaeta Database. Polyophthalmus Quatrefages, 1850. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species. Available from: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129415 (accessed 7 April 2026)
  28. Read, G. & Fauchald, K. (Eds.) (2025b) World Polychaeta Database. Polyophthalmus pictus (Dujardin, 1839). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species. Available from: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=130510 (accessed 7 April 2026)
  29. Sjölin, E., Erseus, C. & Kallersjo, M. (2005) Phylogeny of Tubificidae (Annelida, Clitellata) based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 35 (2), 431–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2004.12.018
  30. Treadwell, A.L. (1936) Polychaetous annelids from the vicinity of Nonsuch Island, Bermuda. Zoologica, 21 (1), 49–68. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.190351
  31. Treadwell, A.L. (1943) Polychaetous annelids from Africa in the collections of the American Museum of Natural History. American Museum Novitates, 1221, 1–6.

How to Cite

Parapar, J., Lavesque, N., Gouillieux, B. & Moreira, J. (2026) A new species of Polyophthalmus from NW Africa and re-establishment of P. papillatus Treadwell, 1943 (Annelida: Opheliidae) based upon type material. Zootaxa, 5802 (1), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5802.1.5