Perinereis helleri

Perinereis helleri (Grube, 1878) Fig. 8 A – D Nereis (Perinereis) helleri Grube, 1878: 81–82. Perinereis cultrifera. – Martens et al. 1995: 15 (non Grube). Perinereis helleri. – Hutchings et al. 1991: 254 –255, fig. 9 a – c. Pamungkas and Glasby 2015: 15 –17, fig. 6 A, B. Type locality. Bohol, Philippines. Material examined. MZB.Pol.00283 (1 specimen), collected by Joko Pamungkas on 15 December 2017 from Lembeh Island: Mawali Urban Village, North Lembeh District, Bitung City, North Sulawesi Province (1°26'35.3"N, 125°13'48.9"E); MZB.Pol.00284 (1 specimen), collected by Joko Pamungkas on 24 November 2017 from Warmar Island: Wangel Village, Aru Islands District, Aru Islands Regency, Maluku Province (5°45'05.1"S, 134°11'43.2"E); MZB.Pol.00285 (2 specimens), collected by Joko Pamungkas on 21 November 2017 from Ambon Island: Hutumuri Village, South Leitimur District, Ambon City, Maluku Province (3°41'46.1"S, 128°17'49.0"E); MZB.Pol.00297 (8 specimens), collected by Joko Pamungkas on 19 December 2017 from Barrang Lompo Island: Barrang Lompo Village, Sangkarrang Island District, Makassar City, South Sulawesi Province (5°02'45.7"S, 119°19'43.4"E); MZB.Pol.00301 (80 males) and MZB.Pol.00302 (63 females), collected as heteronereids locally known as nyale by Geterudis Kerans in March 2022 from Sumba Island: Pero Batang Village, Kodi District, Southwest Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (9°36'27.7"S, 118°59'06.0"E). SMF 33468 (1 male), collection details as for MZB.Pol.00301. Comparative material. Perinereis helleri as heteronereids locally known as ‘ laor / wawo ’. RCLA.Ann.001 (4 males), RCLA.Ann.002 (2 females), collected by Joko Pamungkas on 19 March 2014 from Ambon Island: Allang Village, West Leihitu District, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province (03°46'18.2"S, 128°00'24.6"E); RCLA.Ann.003 (6 males), RCLA.Ann.004 (6 females), collected by Eduard Moniharapon on 19 March 2014 from Ambon Island: Hutumuri Village, South Leitimur District, Ambon City, Maluku Province (03°41'27.5"S, 128°17'56.3"E); RCLA.Ann.005 (1 female), collected by Abraham S. Leatemia on 18 March 2014 from Ambon Island: Mahia Subvillage, Urimessing Village, Nusaniwe District, Ambon City, Maluku Province (3°44'42.6"S, 128°11'24.6"E); MZB.Pol.00163 (5 males), MZB.Pol.00164 (5 females), RCLA.Ann.006 (11 males) and RCLA.Ann.007 (10 females), collected by Franky E. de Soysa on 19 March 2014 from Ambon Island: Subvillage Airlouw, Nusaniwe Village, Nusaniwe District, Ambon City, Maluku Province (03°46'32.5"S, 128°07'53.5"E). Perinereis helleri. ZMH - ANN-P 16551 (2 specimens), collected from Western Australia. Perinereis cultrifera. ZMH - ANN-P 13796 (10 specimens), collected from Bermuda. Diagnosis. Body color in alcohol cream with brown streaky pigmentation on dorsum. Pharynx with conical paragnaths on both rings, smooth bars present on Areas VI, arranged as follows. Area I = 2–3; Area II = 6–10; Area III = 14–18 (including lateral groups); Area IV = 17–24; Area V = 3; Area VI = 1 bar; Area VII – VIII = 25–30. Male and female epitokes have similar body pigmentation and natatory region extending to pygidium, but differ in number of pre-natatory chaetigers and number of modified dorsal and ventral cirri. Males have pre-natatory region comprising 17 chaetigers with basally swollen dorsal and ventral cirri on chaetigers 1–7 and 1–6, respectively. Females have pre-natatory region comprising 19–20 chaetigers with basally swollen dorsal and ventral cirri on chaetigers 1–6 and 1–5, respectively. In addition, males have pygidial rosette and scalloped dorsal cirri, lacking in female (Pamungkas and Glasby 2015). Distribution and habitat. The species was found in Indo-Pacific, inhabiting intertidal rocky shores. Remarks. Perinereis helleri swarming as nyale on Sumba Island agrees well with the species swarming as laor / wawo on Ambon Island, and is one of the most common nyale / laor / wawo species. The paragnath arrangement of this species is very similar to that of P. cultrifera, which Martens et al. (1995) apparently mistook it for. The morphology of the reproductive stage of this species is similar to that of Perinereis nigropunctata. The non-reproductive stage specimens obtained in the present work, as well as nyale, complement the collection of this species at MZB.