Nephtyidae (Annelida: Phyllodocida) of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Author
Murray, Anna
Author
Wong, Eunice
Author
Hutchings, Pat
text
Zootaxa
2015
4019
1
414
436
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4019.1.16
03b4c763-a3d3-4624-9d31-2ba7a25fcc68
1175-5326
240373
B8E7FD63-30C0-4B21-B824-36D778D175A0
Genus
Nephtys
Cuvier, 1817
(
sensu
Hartman, 1959
)
Nephtys
Cuvier, 1817: 173
.
Nephtys
.—
Hartman 1950
: 89
; 1959: 282;
Ravara
et al
. 2010b
: 30
;
Dixon-Bridges
et al
. 2014
: 521
.
Dentinephtys
Imajima & Takeda, 1987
: 43
.—
Ravara
et al.
2010a
: 402
.
Type-species.
Nephtys hombergii
Savigny
in
Lamarck, 1818, subsequent designation by
Hartman (1959)
.
Diagnosis.
The genus
Nephtys
currently includes species with conical, rounded or bilobed acicular lobes and well developed parapodial lobes. Pair of antennae and palps present. Pharynx usually with rows of less than 10 subterminal papillae (usually up to 5–7); elongate middorsal papilla present or absent; proximal region smooth or covered with small verrucae. Branchiae recurved. Lyrate chaetae absent. Aciculae of median and posterior parapodia with curved tips. Jaws conical, hook-like. Nuchal organs round.
Remarks.
Dixon-Bridges
et al
. (2014)
modified the generic diagnosis to include the presence of lyrate chaetae, but this is now ascertained to be an error (Hutchings, pers. obs.). The conical shape of the acicular lobes appears to be the only morphological character that now distinguishes
Nephtys
from
Aglaophamus
, which has acutely pointed acicular lobes, and as this character would seem to be subject to interpretation, and may even depend on the state or
type
of preservation, it is obvious that a revision of the characters used to define nephtyid genera is required. However, this is beyond the scope of the present study.