Lumbrineris coccinea

Lumbrineris coccinea (Renier in Meneghini, 1847)

Nereis coccinea Renier, 1804 b p. 19, has been used as a valid name and species, usually being published under the name Lumbrineris coccinea (Renier, 1804) . It is found in regional faunas by Fauvel‚ 1923; Pettibone, 1963; Day‚ 1967, 1973; Fauchald, 1970; Campoy, 1982; Uebelacker‚ 1984; George & Hartmann-Schröder‚ 1985; Nuñez et al., 1991; Camargo & Lana, 1995; Papadopoulou et al., 1994 and Simboura & Nicolaidou, 2001, and also in the revision by Carrera-Parra, 2006. However, this name, as well as being unpublished, is nearly a nomen nudum, the worm being only described by Renier, [1804b p. 19] as crimson in colour. As with Terebella infundibulum above, the name Nereis coccinea was made available (given a complete description in a published work) as Nereis coccinea Renier, in Meneghini, 1847 (pp. 27–32, 119, pl. 10).

Page IX of the Introduzione to Meneghini, 1847, states that the chapter ‘Della Nereide Chermesina ( Nereis Coccinea) (Ren.).’ was put together by G.D. Nardo (this information was not given for the other polychaete species in Meneghini, 1847). Nardo may have edited Renier’s work, under Meneghini as chief editor, but we feel that calling the species Nereis coccinea Nardo in Meneghini, 1847, would be unfair to Renier. As Nardo credited the name to Renier in that work we are happy to follow that precedent.