Nephtys inornata

Description. Preserved specimens from Lizard Island without pigment, up to 25 mm long, 1.5 mm wide for 63 segments. Prostomium as long as wide, wider than long with pharynx basally everted, antennae and palps close together, short, similar in size, arising from outer anterior margins. Nuchal pits round (Fig. 12 A). Pair of eyes present middorsally near posterior margin of chaetiger 2. Pharynx with 9 pairs of bifid terminal papillae and 20 longitudinal rows of subdistal conical papillae (4 – 7 per row), elongate middorsal and midventral subdistal papillae absent, proximal surface smooth, without verrucae. First chaetiger with short ventral cirri, about 1 / 3 length of palps, dorsal cirri papillae-like. Dorsal cirri of chaetiger 2 papillae-like, those of following chaetigers small, digitiform, swollen basally (Fig. 12 B, G); ventral cirri small, digitiform (Fig. 12 C). Interramal notopodial branchiae starting from chaetiger 5, initially short, recurved (Fig. 12 B), becoming longer and cirriform midbody (occupying up to approximately half interramal space) then decreasing in size posteriorly, continuing to far posterior segments. Patches of cilia present in interramal space on midbody and posterior segments. Acicular lobes conical and pointed (Fig. 12 C – D). Aciculae large, golden, with tips fine, curved, or broken off (Fig. 12 G). Notopodial lobes with low preacicular lamellae, anteriorly lamellae slightly longer than acicular lobes, elliptical and foliose, becoming reduced posteriorly. Postacicular notopodial lamellae well developed, low, foliose (Fig. 12 D), longer than preacicular lamellae. Neuropodial preacicular lamellae initially small, foliose, becoming longer than acicular lobes in anterior parapodia, then reducing slightly in size midbody and posteriorly. Postacicular neuropodial lamellae well developed, foliose, longer than preacicular lamellae (Fig. 12 C), slightly reduced posteriorly and of similar size to notopodial postacicular lamella. Three types of chaetae present: barred chaetae (Fig. 12 E – F) present in preacicular position of noto- and neuropodia 1 – 15, absent thereafter (Fig. 12 H); broad-bladed capillaries, some with finely spinose margins, present in preacicular position of noto- and neuropodia posterior to chaetiger 15 (Fig. 12 H); finely spinose chaetae (Fig. 12 I) present in postacicular position of noto-and neuropodia from chaetiger two; lyrate chaetae absent. Pygidium with short terminal cirrus.

Remarks. These specimens found in older collections are somewhat damaged, but identifiable as Nephtys inornata, and agree well with Rainer & Hutchings’ (1977) description. First record for Queensland. Habitat. Sand, muddy sand or mud, shallow depths, intertidal to 25 m.

Distribution. Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland).

Material examined. Queensland, Lizard Island: AM W. 47395 (1), 250 m east southeast of Palfrey Island, south end of lagoon, 14 ° 40 ' S, 145 ° 28 ' E, sand, 12 m, 12 Oct 1978; AM W. 47400 (1), 100 m off eastern end of Mangrove Beach, 14 ° 40 ' S, 145 ° 28 ' E, sand, 3.6 m. 11 Oct 1978; AM W. 47401 (2), Lagoon, midchannel between Bird Islet and Trawler Beach, 14 ° 40 ' S, 145 ° 28 ' E, fine sediment, 10.6 m, 12 Oct 1978; AM W. 47501 (1), Lagoon, 200 m southwest of Freshwater Beach, 14 ° 40 ' S, 145 ° 27 ' E, medium-grained sediment, 3 m, 10 Oct 1978. Other material examined. AM W. 8706, holotype, and AM W. 8707 – 8710, paratypes of Nephtys inornata, all from Port Hacking, New South Wales, 34 ° 04 ' 30 " S, 151 ° 08 ' 54 " E.