WoRMS source details
Paxton, Hannelore. (1979). Taxonomy and aspects of the life history of Australian beachworms (Polychaeta: Onuphidae. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 30: 265-294.
51288
10.1071/MF9790265 [view]
Paxton, Hannelore
1979
Taxonomy and aspects of the life history of Australian beachworms (Polychaeta: Onuphidae
Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research
30: 265-294
Publication
World Polychaeta Database (WPolyD).
Available for editors [request]
Australian beachworms, recognized by specialists as one species Onuphis teres (Ehlers 1868), and by fishermen as a number of forms, were studied to determine whether more than one species was involved. Monthly sampling at a study site (Narrabeen, New South Wales) and collections from other localities were undertaken to study the morphology of beachworms, electrophoretic mobility of glucosephosphate isomerase and aspects of their life history.
Three forms of beachworms - slimy, stumpy and kingworm-occur at the study site. Stumpies were found to be young kingworms, while slimy represents a separate species. The two species belong to Americonuphis Orensanz, 1974; the name is preoccupied and is replaced with Australonuphis. The holotype of A. teres is a kingworm and the closely related slimy is described as A. Parateres, sp. nov.
Four other forms of beachworms were collected from northern New South Wales and Queensland: stripey, giant, wiry and white-headed wiry. These forms are referred to Onuphis. Stripey and giant are morphologically distinct and are described as O. taeniata, sp. nov., and O. gygis, sp. nov., respectively. Wiry and white-headed wiry belong to a polymorphic species described as O, mariahirsuta, sp. nov.
Australia
Systematics, Taxonomy
Americonuphis Orensanz, 1974 accepted as Australonuphis Paxton, 1979 (source of synonymy)
Americonuphis casamiquelorum Orensanz, 1974 accepted as Australonuphis casamiquelorum (Orensanz, 1974) (source of synonymy)
Australonuphis Paxton, 1979 (original description)
Australonuphis parateres Paxton, 1979 (original description)
Australonuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) (new combination reference)
Onuphis gygis Paxton, 1979 accepted as Hirsutonuphis gygis (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis mariahirsuta Paxton, 1979 accepted as Hirsutonuphis mariahirsuta (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis taeniata Paxton, 1979 accepted as Kinbergonuphis taeniata (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) accepted as Australonuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) (additional source)
Rhamphobrachium hartmanae Friedrich, 1956 accepted as Australonuphis hartmanae (Friedrich, 1956) (source of synonymy)
Americonuphis casamiquelorum Orensanz, 1974 accepted as Australonuphis casamiquelorum (Orensanz, 1974) (source of synonymy)
Australonuphis Paxton, 1979 (original description)
Australonuphis parateres Paxton, 1979 (original description)
Australonuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) (new combination reference)
Onuphis gygis Paxton, 1979 accepted as Hirsutonuphis gygis (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis mariahirsuta Paxton, 1979 accepted as Hirsutonuphis mariahirsuta (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis taeniata Paxton, 1979 accepted as Kinbergonuphis taeniata (Paxton, 1979) (original description)
Onuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) accepted as Australonuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868) (additional source)
Rhamphobrachium hartmanae Friedrich, 1956 accepted as Australonuphis hartmanae (Friedrich, 1956) (source of synonymy)
Fraser Island for Onuphis gygis Paxton, 1979
Holotype AM AMS W.15103, geounit Fraser Island, identified as Onuphis gygis Paxton, 1979
English kingworm, greenhead, bronzehead, bullworms; juveniles: stumpies, standard beachworms and high-tiders for Australonuphis teres (Ehlers, 1868)
Etymology
Onuphis gygis is named for Gyges (feminine gygis), one of the three hecatoncheires (hundred-armed giants) in Greek ... [details]
Homonymy
Americonuphis Orensanz 1974 is HOMONYM to Americonuphis Fauchald, 1973. Paxton 1979:270 replaced the name with ... [details]
Nomenclature
Replacement name for junior homonym Americonuphis Orensanz, 1974 [details]
Type locality
Fraser Island, 25.3667, 153.05 (c. 25"22'S., 153"03'E., sandy beach at mouth of Urang Creek, Queensland, Australia [details]