Eunice cf. aphroditois (Pallas, 1788)

Nereis aphroditois Pallas, 1788: 229.

Eunice aphroditois Cuvier, 1817: 525 (footnote).— Day & Hutchings 1979: 115.— Fauchald 1992: 62.

Leodice gigantea Lamarck, 1818: 322.

Material examined. Queensland. Cairns Reef, Cooktown, under rock behind reef crest, coll. I. Loch, 29 Jul 1973, AM W.6173 (l). Briggs Reef, near north east edge, off Cairns, under coral boulder, coll. I. Loch, 21 Jun 1970, AM W.197006 (l). Hervey Bay, 1969, AM W.4726 (l). North West Islet, Capricorn Group, coll. M. Ward & W, Boardman, Jul 1929, AM W.2725–W.2731 (7). New South Wales. North coast of New South Wales or south coast of Queensland, coll. R. Hallmann, Aug 1910, AM W.244 (l). Angourie, on rocky reef, pres. A.A. Cameron, AM W.3232 (2). Minnie Waters, Grafton, coll. G. Biddle, AM W.197002 (l). Intertidal rocky reef, coll. J.C. Yaldwyn & party, 03 Nov 1963, AM W.197011 (l). Coffs Harbour, 3–6 m depth, old wharf piling, many sponges and barnacles, coll. K. Handley, Jul 1976, AM W.197007 (l). West side of South West Solitary Island, 12–18 m, clumps of coral and ascidians, coll. P. Hutchings & P. Weate, 18 Jun 1972, AM W.5505 (l). SW side of South West Solitary Island, 11 m depth, coll. P. Hutchings, AM W.5518 (l). Port Stephens, AM W.140 (l). Long Reef, AM W.5614 (l). Long Reef, Collaroy, 27 Jan 1964, id. O. Hartman 1964, AM W.5707 (l); coll. L. Thomas, May 1960, AM W.197005 (l); under stones, coll. Museum party, 25 Sep 1962, AM W.197012 (l); coll. P. Hutchings, Nov 1970, AM W.4426 (2). Port Jackson, pres. W. McFarlane, AM W.131 (3), AM W.134 (l+2 slides), AM W.135 (6); pres. Mr. Sedgwick, AM W.141 (l), AM W.142 (l), AM W.143 (l), AM W.144 (l); pres. C. Christianson, AM W.331 (l); pres. Dr Cox, AM W.197009 (l), AM W.197013 (l). North Head, Port Jackson, among Cunjevoi, AM W.197010 (l). Fairy Bower, Manly, coll. A. Livingstone & party, Oct 1922, AM W.962 (4). Watsons Bay, pres. J. Dall, Feb 1892, AM G.583 (l), AM W.197014 (l). Chinamans Beach, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson, coll. E.A. Briggs, Jul 1912, AM W.348 (l). Wyargine Point, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson, coll. Museum Party, 19 Dec 1968, AM W.197008 (l). Bottle & Glass Rocks, coll. R. F. Hallmann, AM W.145 (1); pres. J. Brazier, 1885, AM W.197779 (l). Captain Cook Dock, Garden Island, Port Jackson, mud, 1942, found on bottom when drained to make damp, fibrous leathery tube with shell grit adhering, AM W.3646 (l). Darling Harbour, Port Jackson, pres. E.J. Dyer, AM W.920 (l). Gladesville, pres. W.O. Woodford, AM W.958 (l); sand, coll. W.D. Woodford, AM W.988 (l). Little Bay, near Long Bay, coll. Museum Party, 27 Nov 1925, between tidemarks, AM W.1765–W.1766 (2). Ramsgate Beach, Botany Bay, pres. I. Wright, 20 Apr 1927, washed up, AM W.2369 (l). Kurnell, Botany Bay, pres. K. Bryant, 07 Feb 1966, AM W.4271 (l); washed up on rocks after storm, low tide, coll. W. Doyle, 21 Mar 1978, AM W.197003 (l). Bulli, pres. C. Glover, Jul 1903, AM G.4285 (1). Shellharbour, coll. F.A. McNeill, Apr 1924, AM W.1020–W.1023 (4); pres. G. McAndrew, Jun 1924, AM W.1046–W.1049 (4); coll. G. McAndrew, Sep 1924. AM W.1252 (l); coll. G. McAndrew, Feb 1925, AM W.1579 (l). South Australia. Tiparra Reef, Spencer Gulf, 34°03’S, 137°24’E, 1 m depth, under stones on reef, coll. S. Shepherd, 1973, AM W.5954 (1). Rapid Bay, 35°31’S, 138º11’E, fauna attached to jetty piles, coll. P. Hutchings, 07 Mar 1979, AM W.197573 (l). West Island, 35°37’S, 138°36’E, 25 m depth, amphitheater in algae, coll. S. Shepherd 12 May 1973, AM W.197576 (1). Penneshaw Jetty, Kangaroo Island, 35°43’S, 137°56’E, 5 m depth, in sponges on boom piles, coll. K. Handley, 09 Mar 1978, AM W.197572 (3). Western Australia. Bunbury, pres. A. Abjornssen, AM W.200 (l). West side of Cassini Isl, Kimberleys, 13º57’S, 125º37’E, at low tide, coll. P. Hutchings, 18 Jul 1988, AM W.21680 (2). One Arm Point, Leveque Cape, 2 m depth, coral reef, coll. N. Coleman, 05 Nov 1972, AM W.6802 (1).

Remarks. The synonymy of this species was discussed by Fauchald (1992). Type material is not available for this species and until 1992 no complete description was available. It has been confused with a number of similar species, consequently the name has been applied to any very large specimen of Eunice provided that they had dark colored acicula and most chaetigers bearing branchiae with many filaments (Salazar-Vallejo et al. 2011). Day & Hutchings (1979: 115) listed previous records from Australia; some of these may be of related species. The large basally inflated notopodial cirri are characteristic of this and similar species from other warm-water areas. The species has been found mainly in shallow warm water associated with corals and coral-rubble. One of the largest polychaetes ever registered was reported to be 6 m when collected from mud near Garden Island, Port Jackson, NSW in 1942. Mud is a habitat rarely reported for this species. For further discussion on the status of this species see Zanol & Bettoso (2006), Salazar-Vallejo et al. (2011) and Schulze (2011).

Type locality. Sri Lanka.