Redescription of the giant mud worm Paraleonnates uschakovi Khlebovich and Wu, 1962 (Polychaeta: Nereididae) with special reference to the synonymy of Periserrula leucophryna Paik, 1977 and the difference from Paraleonnates bolus (Hutchings and Reid, 1991)

Abstract

There has been a long-standing taxonomic confusion over the name of a giant nereidid worm living in Asian intertidalmud flats. To clear up the confusion, we examined the type specimens of Paraleonnates uschakovi Khlebovich and Wu,1962 described from China as well as Periserrula leucophryna Paik, 1977 described from Korea (Polychaeta: Nereididae),together with additional non-type materials newly collected from Korea, China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Our results con-firmed that Periserrula leucophryna should be reduced to a junior synonym of Paraleonnates uschakovi as previouslynoted, and that this species is widely distributed in Asia, newly recorded from Taiwan and Thailand. We also present newinformation about the arrangement of three kinds of chaetae in the parapodia as a characteristic of this species. We alsocompared this species with Paraleonnates bolus (Hutchings and Reid, 1991) described from Australia and concluded thatthese are different species. Based on our examination, we propose the amended diagnosis of the genus ParaleonnatesKhlebovich and Wu, 1962. Paraleonnates Amoureux, 1985 erected as a monotypic genus for P. guadalupensis Amoureux,1985 was judged as a junior homonym of Paraleonnates Khlebovich and Wu, 1962, and P. guadalupensis is transferred to the genus Leonnates Kinberg, 1865.

The phylogeny of Nereididae (Annelida) based on mitochondrial genomes

“…Based on the reconstruction, paragnaths may have evolved independently in N. glandicincta , suggesting multiple origins for this commonly used taxonomic character. The ancestral reconstructions also question the assumption that partially sclerotized papillae are an intermediate state between papillae and paragnaths, as previously hypothesized (Bakken et al, ; Hong et al, ; Lee & Glasby, ). Only two terminal taxa ( N. glandicincta and P. uschakovi ) possess partially sclerotized papillae.…”

“…Both rings were treated as distinct characters since for some species the character state observed in each ring was not the same. Character states were coded as follows: (0) the absence of any kind of structure in the ring; (1) the presence of papillae; (2) the presence of paragnaths; (3) the occurrence of partially sclerotized papillae (included as a distinct state following studies that described this feature as distinct from regular paragnaths or as a mid‐state between papillae and paragnaths; Bakken, Glasby, & Wilson, ; Hong, Choi, Kubo, & Sato, ; Lee & Glasby, ). We also included one state present only on outgroup, (4) the occurrence of fimbriae on the distal margin of the pharynx.…”

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the giant mud worm Paraleonnates uschakovi Khlebovich & Wu, 1962 (Polychaeta: Nereididae)

“…It is comprised of three valid species: P. tenuipalpa (Pflugfelder 1933), P. uschakovi (Khlebovich & Wu 1962), and P. bolus (Hutchings & Reid 1991). Of the three species, P. uschakovi is widely distributed at Korean and Chinese coasts, and Thailand coast of Andaman Sea (Paik 1977;Wu et al 1985;Hong et al 2012). This species is known as a fishing bait for mullet in Korea.…”

A remarkable new deep-sea nereidid (Annelida: Nereididae) with gills

“…The type species of Paraleonnates (P. uschakovi Chlebovisch & Wu, 1962), a supposed member of Nereidinae [see 6], showed a variable position (Figs 2B and 3), as did Laeonereis, which was nested inside Nereidinae (Figs 2B and 3), when it is typically referred to as a member of Gymnonereidinae [see 128]. Despite both genera being the subject of recent comprehensive morphological studies [e.g., 106,144], none have dealt with their current subfamily position.…”