A new species of Perinereis Kinberg, 1865 (Annelida: Nereididae) from the Western Mediterranean Sea revealed by morphological and molecular approaches

Abstract

This study uses morphological and molecular evidence to describe a new intertidal species of Perinereis Kinberg, 1865 (Annelida: Nereididae) from northeast Algeria. Perinereis louizomarum n. sp. belongs to Subgroup 1A, which is distinguished by a  single bar shaped paragnath on area VI of the proboscis and a dorsal ligule that is either slightly or not expanded in the posterior parapodia. The new species differs from P. cultrifera and similar congeners by having a bare area V and slightly enlarged posterior dorsal ligules. Furthermore, using newly generated and mined sequences from online databases, and mined sequences of Perinereis species from online, the analysis of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mitochondrial gene sequences supported its status as new species. An identification key of the Perinereis species belonging to Subgroup 1A is also provided.