Marine Species of the British Isles and Adjacent Seas (MSBIAS)

WoRMS taxon details

Arabella iricolor (Montagu, 1804)

AphiaID

129854 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:129854)

Classification

Status

accepted

Rank

Species

Parent

Arabella Grube, 1850

Original name

Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804

Synonymised names

Arabella (Arabella) iricolor (Montagu, 1804) · unaccepted (nominal subgenus not required)

Arabella dubia Treadwell, 1922 · unaccepted (subjective synonym; also...)

subjective synonym; also unreplaced junior primary homonym of A. dubia Hansen, 1882

Arabella lagunae Chamberlin, 1919 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Arabella maculata (Milne Edwards, 1836) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination...)

superseded subsequent combination of subjective synonym

Arabella maculosa Verrill, 1900 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Arabella multidentata (Ehlers, 1887) · unaccepted (alternate representation of...)

alternate representation of otherwise junior synonym

Arabella quadristriata (Grube, 1840) · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (subsequent combination of...)

subsequent combination of subjective synonym

Arabella setosa Treadwell, 1921 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Aracoda iricolor (Montagu, 1804) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination)

Aracoda iricolor caerulea (Schmarda, 1861) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination...)

superseded subsequent combination & misspelling as 'coerulea'

Aracoda moebiana Grube, 1878 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Aracoda multidentata Ehlers, 1887 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Drilonereis pinnata Treadwell, 1921 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbriconereis longissima Grube, 1857 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbriconereis opalina Verrill, 1873 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbriconereis quadristriata Grube, 1840 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbriconereis splendida Leidy, 1855 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbrinereis st-hilaryi Delle Chiaje, 1841 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbrineris dubia Quatrefages, 1866 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbrineris gigantea Quatrefages, 1866 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Lumbrineris maculata (Milne Edwards, 1836) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination...)

superseded subsequent combination of subjective synonym

Lumbrineris tricolor Johnston, 1865 · unaccepted > junior objective synonym (Johnston unknowingly redescribed...)

Johnston unknowingly redescribed the holotype of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804

Maclovia gigantea (Quatrefages, 1866) · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Maclovia iricolor (Montagu, 1804) · unaccepted (superseded subsequent combination)

Maclovia iricolor capensis Willey, 1904 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804 · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded original combination)

Nereis tricolor Johnston, 1865 · unaccepted > nomen nudum (created by a museum label...)

created by a museum label transcription error for Nereis iricolor

Notocirrus margaraticeus Quatrefages, 1866 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Notocirrus margaritaceus [auct. misspelling for 'margaraticeus'] · unaccepted > misspelling - incorrect subsequent spelling (misspelling of a subjective synonym)

Notocirrus tricolor (Johnston, 1865) · unaccepted (superseded recombination)

Oenone maculata Milne Edwards, 1836 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)

Direct children (1)

Ordering

Alphabetically
By status

Children Display

direct main ranks all

Subspecies Arabella iricolor caerulea (Schmarda, 1861)

Environment

marine, ~~brackish~~, ~~fresh~~, ~~terrestrial~~

Fossil range

recent only

Original description

(of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804) Montagu, G. (1804). Description of several marine animals found on the south coast of Devonshire. Transactions of the Linnean Society, London. 7: 61-85, pls. 6-7., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/756268 [details]

(of Lumbrineris tricolor Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. [book]. 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291
page(s): 142-143, text-figs. XXII 1-4; note: Objective synonym. Johnston unknowingly redescribed the holotype of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804 [details]

(of Nereis tricolor Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. [book]. 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291
page(s): 142; note: Mention under Lumbrineris tricolor as the synonym 'Nereis tricolor, Mus. Leach. [details]

Type data

Holotype (of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804)...

Holotype (of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804) NHMUK1972.74, geounit English Channel [details]

, Type locality contained in United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, South...

type locality contained in United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone [from synonym] [view taxon] [details]
type locality contained in South Devon [from synonym] [view taxon] [details]
type locality contained in United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone [from synonym] [view taxon] [details]

Descriptive notes

Taxonomic remark Arabella iricolor, representing the valid name of the senior name currently in the genus, first named as Nereis iricolor...

Taxonomic remark Arabella iricolor, representing the valid name of the senior name currently in the genus, first named as Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804, CANNOT be the type species of Arabella, contrary to Darbyshire & Kara (2024) as Grube gives no mention of Nereis iricolor. See Arabella genus for more explanation. [details]

Distribution Bay of Fundy to Florida

Distribution Bay of Fundy to Florida [details]

Taxonomic citation

Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Arabella iricolor (Montagu, 1804). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129854 on 2025-07-18

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

Bellan, Gérard

2008-03-26 11:36:43Z

changed

Fauchald, Kristian

2011-11-20 02:50:45Z

changed

Read, Geoffrey

Licensing

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

[taxonomic tree]

Nomenclature

original description (of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804) Montagu, G. (1804). Description of several marine animals found on the south coast of Devonshire. Transactions of the Linnean Society, London. 7: 61-85, pls. 6-7., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/756268 [details]

original description (of Lumbrineris tricolor Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. [book]. 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291
page(s): 142-143, text-figs. XXII 1-4; note: Objective synonym. Johnston unknowingly redescribed the holotype of Nereis iricolor Montagu, 1804 [details]

original description (of Nereis tricolor Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. [book]. 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291
page(s): 142; note: Mention under Lumbrineris tricolor as the synonym 'Nereis tricolor, Mus. Leach. [details]

original description (of Notocirrus margaraticeus Quatrefages, 1866) Quatrefages, A. de. (1866 (1865)). Histoire naturelle des Annelés marins et d'eau douce. Annélides et Géphyriens. Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret. Paris. Volume 1. 1-588., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=FV9IAAAAYAAJ
page(s): 368-369 [details]

original description (of Lumbriconereis quadristriata Grube, 1840) Grube, A.E. (1840). Actinien, Echinodermen und Würmer des Adriatischen- und Mittelmeers nach eigenen Sammlungen beschrieben. Königsberg: J.H. Bon. 92 pp., 12 figs., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10662919
page(s): 79, no figures; note: Gulf of Naples. 19 text lines of description. No geographic location of collection is mentioned. However, in his introduction Grube explains that his specimens came from the Gulf of Naples, unless oth...

Gulf of Naples. 19 text lines of description. No geographic location of collection is mentioned. However, in his introduction Grube explains that his specimens came from the Gulf of Naples, unless otherwise stated.

[details]

original description (of Lumbriconereis splendida Leidy, 1855) Leidy, J. (1855). Contributions towards a knowledge of the marine Invertebrate fauna of the coasts of Rhode Island and New Jersey. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 3(2) no. 11: 135-152, pls. 10-11. (xii-1855)., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36848120 [details]

original description (of Lumbrineris dubia Quatrefages, 1866) Quatrefages, A. de. (1866 (1865)). Histoire naturelle des Annelés marins et d'eau douce. Annélides et Géphyriens. Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret. Paris. Volume 1. 1-588., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=FV9IAAAAYAAJ
page(s): 363 [details]

original description (of Oenone maculata Milne Edwards, 1836) Milne Edwards, Henri. (1837 [1837-1848]). Les Annélides. In: Cuvier, G.(ed.). Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée, par Georges Cuvier. Édition accompagnée de planches gravées, représentant les types de tous les genres, les caractères dístinctifs des divers groupes et les modifications de structure sur lesquelles repose cette classification; par une réunion de disciples de Cuvier, MM. Audouin, Blanchard, Deshayes, Alcide d'Orbigny, Doyère, Dugès, Duvernoy, Laurillard, Milne Edwards, Roulin et Valenciennes. [book]. [aka 'Le règne animal illustré' or 'Disciples' edition'], pp. 1-54, [Plates in a separate volume, numbered 1-24 (actually totalling 30)]. Fortin, Masson et Cie, Paris. <a href="https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37029493" target="_blank">link to Plates</a>., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37082882
page(s): Only published as a name on plate 11, figure 4a-d; note: France [details]

original description (of Lumbriconereis longissima Grube, 1857) Grube, Adolph Eduard. (1857). Annulata Örstediana. Enumeratio Annulatorum, quae in itinere per Indiam occidentalem et Americam centralem annis 1845-1848 suscepto legit cl. A. S. Örsted, adjectis speciebus nonnullis a cl. H. Kröyero in itinere ad Americam meridionalem collectis. (Fortsaettelse). [Part 2]. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening i Köbenhavn. 1857: 158-186., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35800010 [details]

original description (of Lumbriconereis opalina Verrill, 1873) Verrill, A. E. (1873). XVIII. Report upon the invertebrate animals of Vineyard Sound and the adjacent waters, with an account of the physical characters of the region. Report on the condition of the sea fisheries of the south coast of New England [later becomes Reports of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries]. 1: 295-778 pls. 1-38., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12087501
page(s): 594, plate XIII figs. 69-70 [details]

original description (of Arabella lagunae Chamberlin, 1919) Chamberlin, Ralph V. (1919). New polychaetous annelids from Laguna Beach, California. Journal of Entomology and Zoology of Pomona College. 11(1): 1-23., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12263520
page(s): 12 [no figures] [details]

original description (of Lumbrineris gigantea Quatrefages, 1866) Quatrefages, A. de. (1866 (1865)). Histoire naturelle des Annelés marins et d'eau douce. Annélides et Géphyriens. Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret. Paris. Volume 1. 1-588., available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=FV9IAAAAYAAJ
page(s): 360-361 [details]

original description (of Arabella maculosa Verrill, 1900) Verrill, A.E. 1900. Additions to the Turbellaria, Nemertina, and Annelida of the Bermudas, with revisions of some New England genera and species. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 10(2): 595-671., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27731368
page(s): 651 [details] Available for editors

[request]

original description (of Arabella setosa Treadwell, 1921) Treadwell, A.L. (1921). Leodicidae of the West Indian region. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication. 15(293): 1-131, plates 1-9 (in colour), 1 map., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1930614
page(s): 113-114, text-figs. 421-424, plate 9 figs. 10-11 [details]

original description (of Aracoda moebiana Grube, 1878) Grube, Adolph-Eduard. (1878). Annulata Semperiana. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Annelidenfauna der Philippinen nach den von Herrn Prof. Semper mitgebrachten Sammlungen. Mémoires l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.- Pétersbourg. (série 7) 25(8): 1-300., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45379218
page(s): 176-177, plate VIII fig. 7 [details]

original description (of Aracoda multidentata Ehlers, 1887) Ehlers, E. (1887). Reports on the results of dredging, under the direction of L. F. Pourtalès, during the years 1868-1870, and of Alexander Agassiz, in the Gulf of Mexico (1877-78), and in the Caribbean Sea (1878-79), in the U.S. Coast Survey steamer "Blake", Lieut-Com. C. D. Sigsbee, U.S.N. and Commander J. R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. XXXI. Report on the Annelids. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 15: vi & 335 pp., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30734338
page(s): 112-113, plate 34 figs. 8-9, plate 35 figs. 1-4 [details]

original description (of Drilonereis pinnata Treadwell, 1921) Treadwell, A.L. (1921). Leodicidae of the West Indian region. Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication. 15(293): 1-131, plates 1-9 (in colour), 1 map., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1930614
page(s): 110-111, text-figs. 412-413, plate 8 fig. 11 [details]

original description (of Lumbrinereis st-hilaryi Delle Chiaje, 1841) Delle Chiaje, S. (1841-1844). Descrizione e notomia degli animali invertebrati della Sicilia citeriore osservati vivi negli anni 1822-1830. Batteli & Co., Naples. Parts 1-8., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/10031#/summary
page(s): 83 [details]

original description (of Maclovia iricolor capensis Willey, 1904) Willey, Arthur. (1904). Littoral Polychaeta from the Cape of Good Hope. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Series 2, Zoology. 9(6): 255-268, plates 13-14., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16416472 [details]

original description (of Arabella dubia Treadwell, 1922) Treadwell, Aaron Louis. (1922). Leodicidae from Fiji and Samoa. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication. 312: 127-170, plates 1-8., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5402751
page(s): 160-161, text-fig. 52, plate 7 figs. 11-12, plate 8 figs. 8-9 [details]

basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]

Taxonomy

redescription Darbyshire, Teresa; Kara, Jyothi. (2024). Redescription of Arabella iricolor (Montagu, 1804) with descriptions of two new species from the United Kingdom and South Africa. African Zoology. Efirst: 1-21., available online at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15627020.2024.2306421
page(s): 7 of 22, figures 1-6, 7a-c; note: Redescription from holotype, plus new topotype specimens, and further museum specimens from the southern coast of England and from Wales. [details] Available for editors

[request]

Other

context source (Deepsea) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), available online at http://www.iobis.org/ [details]

context source (HKRMS) Wang, J. J. & Huang, Z. G. (1994). Fouling polychaetes of Hong Kong and adjacent waters. In Asian Marine Biology 10 (ed. Morton, B.), PP1-12. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong. [details]

additional source Brunel, P., L. Bosse & G. Lamarche. (1998). Catalogue of the marine invertebrates of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 126. 405 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Pettibone, M. H. (1952). Checklist of Polychaeta of New England region. 1-32. [details]

additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]

additional source Fauvel, P. (1911). Troisième note préliminaire sur les polychètes provenant des campagnes de l'Hirondelle et de la Princesse-Alice, ou déposées dans la Musée Océanographique de Monaco. Bulletin de l'Institut Océanographique de Monaco. 194: 1-41., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46208770 [details]

additional source Fauvel, Pierre. (1919). Annélides polychètes de la Guyane Française. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. 25(6): 472-479., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5027145 [details]

additional source Fauvel, P. (1933). Annélides polychètes du Golfe du Pei Tcheu Ly de la collection du Musée Hoang ho Pai ho. Récoltées par le R.P. Leroy, S.J. et le R.P. Licent S.J. Publications du Musée Hoang ho Pai ho de Tien Tsin. 15: 1-67.
page(s): 37 [details]

additional source Fauvel, P. (1923). Polychètes errantes. Faune de France. Librairie de la Faculte des Sciences. Paris. 5: 1-488., available online at http://www.faunedefrance.org/ [details]

additional source Hartman, O. (1942). A review of the types of polychaetous annelids at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection, Yale University. 8(1): 1-98. [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Hartman, Olga. (1942). The identity of some marine annelid worms in the United States National Museum. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 92(3142): 101-140., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15766789
page(s): 124; note: identifies some cotypes of Lumbriconereis tenuis tenuis Verril, 1873 as Arabella iricolor [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Hartman, Olga. (1944). Polychaetous Annelids. Part V. Eunicea. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions. 10(1): 1-237., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4679950
page(s): 173 [details]

additional source Hartman, O. (1951). The littoral marine annelids of the Gulf of Mexico. Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas, Texas. 2(1): 7-124., available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2152/22162
page(s): 63 [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Hartman, Olga. (1956). Polychaetous annelids erected by Treadwell, 1891 to 1948, together with a brief chronology. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 109(2): 239-310., available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2246/1145 [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Hartman, Olga. (1959). Catalogue of the Polychaetous Annelids of the World. Parts 1 and 2. Allan Hancock Foundation Occasional Paper. 23: 1-628. [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source McIntosh, William Carmichael. (1910). A monograph of the British annelids. Polychaeta. Syllidae to Ariciidae. Ray Society of London. 2(2): 233-524., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38533042 [details]

additional source Glasby, Christopher J.; Read, Geoffrey B.; Lee, Kenneth E.; Blakemore, R.J.; Fraser, P.M.; Pinder, A.M.; Erséus, C.; Moser, W.E.; Burreson, E.M.; Govedich, F.R.; Davies, R.W.; Dawson, E.W. (2009). Phylum Annelida: bristleworms, earthworms, leeches. [Book chapter]. Chapt 17, pp. 312-358. in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch. [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Fauchald, K.; Granados-Barba, A.; Solís-Weiss, V. (2009). Polychaeta (Annelida) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 751–788 in D.L. Felder and D.K. Camp (eds.). Gulf of Mexico. Origin, Waters, and Biota. Volume 1, Biodiversity. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas., available online at https://books.google.es/books?id=CphA8hiwaFIC&lpg=PR1&pg=PA751 [details]

additional source Trott, T. J. (2004). Cobscook Bay inventory: a historical checklist of marine invertebrates spanning 162 years. Northeastern Naturalist. 11, 261-324., available online at http://www.gulfofmaine.org/kb/files/9793/TROTT-Cobscook%20List.pdf [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Fauchald, K. (1977). The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, CA (USA), Science Series. 28:1-188., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/123110.pdf [details]

additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]