New record of Bar-toothed Nereid, Perinereis nuntia (Lamarck, 1818) from the coastal waters of West Bengal, India Author Pradhan, Jyoshna Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha - 721 428, West Bengal, India; E-mail: marugalbalu 82 @ gmail. com Author Mahapatra, Cuckoo Department of Zoology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Sri Ram Chandra Vihar, Baripada - 757 003, Odisha, India Author Tudu, Prasad Chandra Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha - 721 428, West Bengal, India; E-mail: marugalbalu 82 @ gmail. com Author Balakrishnan, S. Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Digha - 721 428, West Bengal, India; E-mail: marugalbalu 82 @ gmail. com text Records of the Zoological Survey of India 2024 124 1 45 50 journal article 10.26515/rzsi/v124/i1/2024/172436 2581-8686 14657915 Perinereis nuntia (Lamarck, 1818) ( Figure 2 ) Synonyms 1983. Perinereis nuntia : Misra and Chakraborty, Records of the Zoological Survey of India ., 81 : 71. Figure 1. Distribution of Perinereis nuntia (Lamarck, 1818) in India (Simple mapper). 1993. Perinereis nuntia : Wilson and Glasby, Records of the Australian Museum., 43 : 266, Figs. 11a–g. (A) Figure 2. Perinereis nuntia (Lamarck, 1818) (MARC/ZSI P9905): (A) Live specimen; (B) Head with prostomium; (C) Anal cirri; (D) Jaw; (E) Heterogomph falciger (ventral neuropodial fascicle, setiger 70); (F) Ventral neuropodial fascicle, setiger; (G) Heterogomph falciger (ventral neuropodial fascicle, setiger 40; (H) Numbers of group of paranaths. Material examined: 21 specimens ; Total Length (TL): 41.63–65.70mm ; Body Width (BW): 1.89–2.0mm; coll. P.C. Tudu & J. Pradhan. Diagnosis: Body elongated, rounded, or somewhat flattened.Body colour is dusky brown in live specimens and white in alcohol preservation ( Figure 2A ). Prostomium with two pair of eyes and red-black with opaque lenses and anal cirri ( Figures 2B and C ). Jaws present ( Figure 2D ). Number of setigers 69–79, setigers fascicle ( Figure 2 E-G) and maximum length: 41.63–65.70mm and width: 1.89–2.0mm. Setae compound, spinigerous, and falcigerous. The prostomium is half as long as the wide; the antennae three quarters as long as the prostomium. Paragnaths of Group VI are transverse, ridge-shaped, or a transverse row of more or less flattened denticles. Jaws dark-brown. Proboscis is armed with a pair of horny jaws and, generally, a series of horny teeth or paragnaths, which are arranged in eight groups. Proboscis: Group I=1-3; II and IV=crescentic and triangular clusters; III= a rectangular patch with 2-3 denticless. On each side; V=3, set in a triangle; VI= on each side transverse row of 8–9 conical ( Figure 2H ). Tentacular cirri reaching to the 5 th- 8 th segment. Dorsal cirri short and variable length. Dorsal ligules are blunt and similar in size, not elongated in all parapodia; notopodialprechetal and neuropodialpostchetal lobes are not developed and conical in posterior feet. Neuropodial heterogomphspinigers are present throughout. Habitat: The specimens were found in the sand under rocks in the upper intertidal region of the rocky shore. Generally, this species inhabits the estuarine waters or seawaters with limited freshwater input ( Glasby and Hsieh, 2006 ). Distribution: In India : Gulf of Mannar, Tuticorin, Cape Comorin, Andaman and Nicobar Islands ( Soota and Rao, 1997 ), Paradeep, Odisha ( Ingole, 2007 ), Okha, Gujarat and Bombay coast, Maharashtra ( Misra and Chakraborty, 1983 ). Elsewhere : Australia ( Wilson and Glasby, 1993 ), Japan . New Zealand , New Caledonia , Malay Archipelago, Indian Ocean, Saint Paul Island, and Red Sea ( Fauvel, 1953 ).