''Nereis'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
polychaete worm
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always).
Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...
s in the family
Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
. ''Nereis'' possess
setae
In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.
Animal setae
Protostomes
Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...
and
parapodia
In invertebrates, the term parapodium ( Gr. ''para'', beyond or beside + ''podia'', feet; plural: parapodia) refers to lateral outgrowths or protrusions from the body. Parapodia are predominantly found in annelids, where they are paired, unjointed ...
for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found on the parapodia. Acicular setae provide support. Locomotor setae are for crawling, and are the bristles that are visible on the exterior of the Polychaeta. They are cylindrical in shape, found not only in sandy areas, and they are adapted to burrow. They often cling to seagrass (posidonia) or other grass on rocks and sometimes gather in large groups.
Nereis worms are commonly known as rag worms or clam worms. The body is long, slender, and dorso-ventrally flattened, reaching a length of 5-30 cm. The head consists of two parts: a roughly triangular anterior lobe—the prostomium—and a posterior ring-like portion—the peristomium. The latter bears four pairs of tentacular cirri, dorsally two pairs of eyes, and ventrally a pair of short two-jointed palps.
Etymology
The scientific Latin genus name ''Nereis'' derives from the Ancient Greek Νηρηΐς : Nērēís (stem Νηρηΐδ- : Nērēid), a sea nymph.
Ecology
''Nereis'' are
osmoconformer
Osmoconformers are marine organisms that maintain an internal environment which is isotonic to their external environment. This means that the osmotic pressure of the organism's cells is equal to the osmotic pressure of their surrounding environm ...
s. They are
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
(individuals are male or female) and they release their
haploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...
gametes into the water, a process called ''spawning''. Moreover, upon fertilization and
mitotic divisions of the
zygote
A zygote (, ) is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individual organism.
In multicellula ...
, Nereids form a larval stage which is similar to that of
molluscs – i.e. a
trochophore larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
.
Species
The genus ''Nereis'' contains the following species:
*''
Nereis abbreviata
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found on ...
''
Holly, 1935
*''
Nereis abyssa
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
Imajima, 2009
*''
Nereis abyssicola''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis acustris
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Linnaeus, 1767
*''
Nereis aegyptia
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
(Savigny ''in'' Lamarck, 1818)
*''
Nereis aestuarensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Knox, 1951
*''
Nereis aibuhitensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
(Grube, 1878)
*''
Nereis albipes
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Grube, 1873
*''
Nereis allenae
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Pettibone, 1956
*''
Nereis amoyensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
(Treadwell, 1936)
*''
Nereis angelensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Fauchald, 1972
*''
Nereis angusta
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
(Kinberg, 1866)
*''
Nereis angusticollis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Augener, 1913
*''
Nereis angusticollis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis annularis''
Blainville, 1818
*''
Nereis anoculis''
Hartman, 1960
*''
Nereis anoculopsis''
Fauchald, 1972
*''
Nereis anodonta''
Schmarda, 1861
*''
Nereis antipoda''
Knox, 1960
*''
Nereis apaliae''
Wilson, 1985
*''
Nereis arenaceodonta''
*''
Nereis arroyensis''
Treadwell, 1901
*''
Nereis atlantica''
McIntosh, 1885
*''
Nereis augeneri''
Gravier & Dantan, 1934
*''
Nereis badiotorquata''
(Grube, 1878)
*''
Nereis baliensis''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis baolingi''
Leon-Gonzalez & Solis-Weiss, 2000
*''
Nereis batjanensis''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis bifida''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis bipartita''
(Bobretzky, 1868)
*''
Nereis blainvillei''
delle Chiaje, 1828
*''
Nereis broa
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
Lana & Sovierzovsky, 1987
*''
Nereis buitendijki''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis caecoides''
Hartman, 1965
*''
Nereis caerulea''
Linnaeus, 1758
*''
Nereis cagliari''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis calamus''
Renier, 1804
*''
Nereis callaona''
(Grube, 1857)
*''
Nereis caparti''
Fauvel, 1953
*''
Nereis casoae''
Leon-Gonzalez & Solis-Weiss, 2001
*''
Nereis castelnaui''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis caudata''
*''
Nereis caudipunctata''
(Grube, 1857)
*''
Nereis caymanensis''
Fauchald, 1977
*''
Nereis chlorodes''
Blanchard ''in'' Gay, 1849
*''
Nereis chrysocephala''
Pallas, 1788
*''
Nereis cirrhigera''
Viviani, 1805
*''
Nereis cirriseta''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis cockburnenesis''
Augener, 1913
*''
Nereis cockburnensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are ocean, marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are f ...
''
Augener, 1913
*''
Nereis contorta''
Dalyell, 1853
*''
Nereis corallina''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis cornuta''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis costaricaensis''
Dean, 2001
*''
Nereis coutieri''
Gravier, 1900
*''
Nereis coutieri''
Gravier, 1899
*''
Nereis crassa''
Gmelin ''in'' Linnaeus, 1788
*''
Nereis crocea''
Renier, 1804
*''
Nereis cuprea''
delle Chiaje, 1822
*''
Nereis cuprea''
(Schmarda, 1861)
*''
Nereis cylindraria
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found on ...
''
*''
Nereis dakarensis''
Fauvel, 1951
*''
Nereis dayana''
Sun & Shen ''in'' Sun, Wu & Shen, 1978
*''
Nereis delagica''
Gmelin ''in'' Linnaeus, 1788
*''
Nereis delicatula''
Blanchard ''in'' Gay, 1849
*''
Nereis delli''
Knox, 1960
*''
Nereis denhamensis''
Augener, 1913
*''
Nereis donghaiensis''
He & Wu, 1988
*''
Nereis dorsolobata''
Hartmann-Schröder, 1965
*''
Nereis edwardsii''
delle Chiaje, 1828
*''
Nereis ehlersiana''
(Grube, 1878)
*''
Nereis ehrenbergi''
Grube, 1868
*''
Nereis erythraeensis''
*''
Nereis falcaria''
(Willey, 1905)
*''
Nereis falsa''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis fauchaldi''
Leon-Gonzalez & Diaz-Castaneda, 1998
*''
Nereis fauveli''
Gravier & Dantan, 1934
*''
Nereis filicaudata''
Fauvel, 1951
*''
Nereis foliosa''
Schmarda, 1861
*''
Nereis fossae''
Fauchald, 1972
*''
Nereis frontalis''
Bosc, 1802
*''
Nereis fucata''
(Savigny ''in'' Lamarck, 1818)
*''
Nereis funchalensis''
(Langerhans, 1880)
*''
Nereis fusifera''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis garwoodi''
Gonzalez-Escalante & Salazar-Vallejo, 2003
*''
Nereis gayi''
Blanchard ''in'' Gay, 1849
*''
Nereis ghardaqae''
Hartmann-Schröder, 1960
*''
Nereis gigantea''
Linnaeus, 1767
*''
Nereis gisserana''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis goajirana''
Augener, 1933
*''
Nereis gracilis''
(Hansen, 1878)
*''
Nereis granulata''
Day, 1957
*''
Nereis gravieri''
Fauvel, 1900
*''
Nereis gravieri''
Fauvel, 1902
*''
Nereis grayi''
Pettibone, 1956
*''
Nereis grubei''
(Kinberg, 1866)
*''
Nereis guangdongensis''
Wu, Sun & Yang, 1981
*''
Nereis heterocirrata''
Treadwell, 1931
*''
Nereis heteromorpha''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis heterophylla''
Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821
*''
Nereis heteropoda''
Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821
*''
Nereis holochaeta''
Intes & Le Loeuff, 1975
*''
Nereis homogompha''
Rullier, 1972
*''
Nereis huanghaiensis''
Wu, Sun & Yang, 1981
*''
Nereis icosiensis''
Gravier & Dantan, 1928
*''
Nereis ignota
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis imajimai''
Leon-Gonzalez & Diaz-Castaneda, 1998
*''
Nereis imbecillis''
Grube, 1840
*''
Nereis imperfecta''
Gravier & Dantan, 1936
*''
Nereis inflata''
Leon-Gonzalez & Solis-Weiss, 2001
*''
Nereis iris''
Stimpson, 1854
*''
Nereis irrorata''
*''
Nereis izukai''
Okuda, 1939
*''
Nereis jacksoni''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis krebsii
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Grube, 1857
*''
Nereis lamellosa''
Ehlers, 1864
*''
Nereis languida''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis latescens''
Chamberlin, 1919
*''
Nereis leuca''
Chamberlin, 1919
*''
Nereis ligulata''
Hilbig, 1992
*''
Nereis lineata
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
delle Chiaje, 1827
*''
Nereis lingulata''
Hilbig, 1992
*''
Nereis lithothamnica''
Annenkova, 1938
*''
Nereis litoralis''
Leach ''in'' Johnston, 1865
*''
Nereis longilingulis''
Monro, 1937
*''
Nereis longior''
Chlebovitsch & Wu, 1962
*''
Nereis longisetis''
McIntosh, 1885
*''
Nereis macropis''
Ehlers, 1920
*''
Nereis maculosa''
Renier, 1804
*''
Nereis madreporae''
*''
Nereis margarita''
Montagu, 1804
*''
Nereis marginata''
Grube, 1857
*''
Nereis mariae''
Holly, 1935
*''
Nereis marioni''
Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1833
*''
Nereis maroccensis''
Amoureux, 1976
*''
Nereis maxillodentata''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis mediator''
Chamberlin, 1918
*''
Nereis mendocinana
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Chamberlin, 1919
*''
Nereis microcera''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis minima''
Lamarck, 1801
*''
Nereis mirabilis''
Kinberg, 1866
*''
Nereis mollis''
Linnaeus, 1761
*''
Nereis monoceros''
Dalyell, 1853
*''
Nereis monroi''
Reish, 1953
*''
Nereis moroccensis''
Amoureux, 1976
*''
Nereis mortenseni''
Augener, 1923
*''
Nereis multignatha''
Imajima & Hartman, 1964
*''
Nereis myersi''
Holly, 1935
*''
Nereis nancaurica''
Ehlers, 1904
*''
Nereis nanciae
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
Day, 1949
*''
Nereis natans''
Hartman, 1936
*''
Nereis neoneanthes''
Hartman, 1948
*''
Nereis neozealanica''
Knox, 1951
*''
Nereis nichollsi''
Kott, 1951
*''
Nereis nigripes''
Ehlers, 1868
*''
Nereis noctiluca''
Linnaeus, 1761
*''
Nereis nouhuysi''
Horst, 1918
*''
Nereis obscura''
Gravier & Dantan, 1934
*''
Nereis ochotica''
Grube, 1850
*''
Nereis ockenii''
delle Chiaje, 1828
*''
Nereis octentaculata''
Montagu, 1804
*''
Nereis oligohalina''
(Rioja, 1946)
*''
Nereis onychophora''
Horst, 1918
*''
Nereis otto''
delle Chiaje, 1828
*''
Nereis ovarius''
Read, 1980
*''
Nereis pachychaeta''
Fauvel, 1919
*''
Nereis panamensis
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are ocean, marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are f ...
''
Fauchald, 1977
*''
Nereis pannosa''
(Grube, 1857)
*''
Nereis parabifida''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis paucignatha''
Hartman, 1940
*''
Nereis paulina
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
Grube, 1868
*''
Nereis pectinata''
Dalyell, 1853
*''
Nereis pelagica
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Linnaeus, 1758
*''
Nereis perivisceralis''
Claparède, 1868
*''
Nereis peroniensis''
Kott, 1951
*''
Nereis persica
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Fauvel, 1911
*''
Nereis peruviana''
Ehlers, 1868
*''
Nereis phosphorescens''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis phyllophorus''
Ross, 1819
*''
Nereis pinnata''
Müller, 1776
*''
Nereis piscesae''
Blake & Hillbig, 1990
*''
Nereis posidoniae''
Hutchings & Rainer, 1979
*''
Nereis procera''
Ehlers, 1868
*''
Nereis profundi''
Kirkegaard, 1956
*''
Nereis pseudomoniliformis''
Santos & Lana, 2003
*''
Nereis pulsatoria''
(Savigny, 1822)
*''
Nereis punctata''
Dalyell, 1853
*''
Nereis puncturata''
Grube, 1857
*''
Nereis quadricorna''
delle Chiaje, 1841
*''
Nereis quoyii''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis radiata''
Viviani ''in'' Grube, 1850
*''
Nereis ranzani''
delle Chiaje, 1828
*''
Nereis rava''
Ehlers, 1864
*''
Nereis regia''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis rigida''
Grube, 1857
*''
Nereis riisei''
Grube, 1857
*''
Nereis robusta''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis rufa''
Pennant, 1812
*''
Nereis rupta''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis sandersi''
Blake, 1985
*''
Nereis sarsoensis''
Hartmann-Schröder, 1960
*''
Nereis schmardae''
Hartmann-Schröder, 1962
*''
Nereis scolopendrina''
Blainville, 1825
*''
Nereis scolopendroides''
Hansen, 1882
*''
Nereis segrex''
Chamberlin, 1919
*''
Nereis semperiana''
(Grube, 1878)
*''
Nereis serrata''
Santos & Lana, 2003
*''
Nereis sertularias''
*''
Nereis sieboldii''
Grube, 1873
*''
Nereis sinensis''
Wu, Sun & Yang, 1981
*''
Nereis singularis''
Wesenberg-Lund, 1949
*''
Nereis spinigera''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis splendida''
Blainville, 1825
*''
Nereis splendida''
Grube, 1840
*''
Nereis sumbawaensis''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis surugaense''
Imajima, 1972
*''
Nereis talehsapensis''
Fauvel, 1932
*''
Nereis tenuipalpa''
Pflugfelder, 1933
*''
Nereis tenuis''
Webster & Benedict, 1884
*''
Nereis tethycola
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found ...
''
delle Chiaje, 1831
*''
Nereis thompsoni''
(Kott, 1951)
*''
Nereis thysanota
''Nereis'' is a genus of polychaete worms in the family Nereididae. It comprises many species, most of which are marine. ''Nereis'' possess setae and parapodia for locomotion and gas exchange. They may have two types of setae, which are found o ...
''
Ehlers, 1920
*''
Nereis tiedmanni''
delle Chiaje, 1841
*''
Nereis tigrina''
Zachs, 1933
*''
Nereis toporoki''
Khlebovich, 1996
*''
Nereis torta''
Fauvel, 1934
*''
Nereis translucens''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis triangularis''
Hutchings & Turvey, 1982
*''
Nereis tydemani''
(Horst, 1924)
*''
Nereis uncia''
Holly, 1935
*''
Nereis usticensis''
Cantone, Catalono & Badalamenti, 2003
*''
Nereis variegata''
Renier, 1804
*''
Nereis veleronis''
Hartman, 1940
*''
Nereis ventilabrum''
Quatrefages, 1866
*''
Nereis vexillosa''
Grube, 1851
*''
Nereis victoriana''
Augener, 1918
*''
Nereis villosa''
Dalyell, 1853
*''
Nereis vitiensis''
Grube, 1870
*''
Nereis willey''
Day, 1934
*''
Nereis zhongshaensis''
Shen & Sun ''in'' Sun, Wu & Shen, 1978
*''
Nereis zonata''
Malmgren, 1867
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q135309
Polychaete genera
Phyllodocida