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Polychaeta taxon detailsNereis Linnaeus, 1758
129379 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:129379)
accepted
Genus
Nereis pelagica Linnaeus, 1758 (type by subsequent designation)
Heteronereis Örsted, 1843 · unaccepted (To Nereis, but metamorphosed...)
To Nereis, but metamorphosed adults of various genera Johnstonia Quatrefages, 1850 · unaccepted (subjective synonym, suppressed...)
subjective synonym, suppressed for senior homonymy by ICZN Opinion 1807 Lycoris Lamarck, 1818 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Naumachius Kinberg, 1865 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Nereis (Heteronereis) Örsted, 1842 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (subjective synonym; to Nereis,...)
subjective synonym; to Nereis, but metamorphosed adults of various genera Nereis (Lycoris) Lamarck, 1818 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (subjective synonym)
Nereis (Nereis) Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted (currently disused nominal subgenus)
Thoosa Kinberg, 1865 · unaccepted (homonym, subjective synonym)
marine, brackish,
recent only
feminine
Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 654 [details] Available for editors  [request](of Nereis (Nereis) Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
Note Type species Nereis pelagica Linnaeus 1758 in...
Unreviewed
Type species Type species Nereis pelagica Linnaeus 1758 in Fauchald, 1977<246>. [details]
Etymology Believed to be named after the name of the nymphs in Greek mythology. The Nereids (Greek: Νηρηΐδες Nereides, sg....
Etymology Believed to be named after the name of the nymphs in Greek mythology. The Nereids (Greek: Νηρηΐδες Nereides, sg. Νηρηΐς Nereis) are sea nymphs, female spirits of sea waters, the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris [source: Wikipedia] [details] Status Possible nomina dubia. Thirteen Nereis names inadequately described with "barely enough to recognize them as polychaetes"...
Status Possible nomina dubia. Thirteen Nereis names inadequately described with "barely enough to recognize them as polychaetes" and thus regarded as nomina dubia by Putignano et al (2026: 338) are as follows: Nereis acustris Linnaeus, 1767 Nereis aegyptia (Savigny in Lamark, 1818) Nereis crassa Gmelin in Linnaeus, 1788 Nereis frontalis Bosc, 1802 Nereis lineata Delle Chiaje, 1827 Nereis litoralis Leach in Johnston, 1865 Nereis peruviana Ehlers, 1868 Nereis phyllophorus Ross, 1819 Nereis quadricorna Delle Chiaje, 1841 Nereis tethycola Delle Chiaje, 1831 Nereis tigrina Zachs, 1933 Nereis ventilabrum (Delle Chiaje, 1827) Nereis villosa Dalyell, 1853 [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Nereis Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://marinespecies.org/polychaeta/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=129379 on 2026-07-12
Date action by
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 654 [details] Available for editors [request]original description (of Nereis (Nereis) Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]original description (of Heteronereis Örsted, 1843) Örsted, Anders Sandoe. (1843). Grönlands Annulata dorsibranchiata. <em>Det Kongelige Danske videnskabernes selskabs. Naturvidenskabelige og mathematiske afhandlinger.</em> 10 (series 4): 153-216. 8 plates., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13597198 page(s): 174 [details]  original description (of Lycoris Lamarck, 1818) Lamarck, [J.-B. M.] de. (1818). <i>Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres</i>. Tome cinquième, 612 pp. Paris, Deterville/Verdière. , available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12886879 page(s): 310, 311-312 [details] original description (of Thoosa Kinberg, 1865) Kinberg, J.G.H. (1865). Annulata nova. [Continuatio.]. <em>Öfversigt af Königlich Vetenskapsakademiens förhandlingar, Stockholm.</em> 22(2): 167-179., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32339443 page(s): 172 [details] original description (of Naumachius Kinberg, 1865) Kinberg, J.G.H. (1865). Annulata nova. [Continuatio.]. <em>Öfversigt af Königlich Vetenskapsakademiens förhandlingar, Stockholm.</em> 22(2): 167-179., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32339443 page(s): 176 [details] original description (of Johnstonia Quatrefages, 1850) Quatrefages, Armand de. (1850). Études sur les types inférieurs de l'embranchement des annelés. Mémoire sur le système nerveux des annélides proprement dites. <em>Annales des sciences naturelles, Paris.</em> Série 3, 14: 329-398, plates 6-10., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13433776 page(s): 350; note: description of the nervous system only of a new nereid [details] original description (of Nereis (Heteronereis) Örsted, 1842) Örsted, A.S. (1842). Udtog af en Beskrivelse af Grönlands Annulata dorsibranchiata. <em>Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift, Köbenhavn.</em> 4: 109-127., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2322860 page(s): 115 [details] taxonomy source Gravina, Maria Flavia; Lezzi, Marco; Bonifazi, Andrea; Giangrande, Adriana. (2015). The genus Nereis L., 1758 (Polychaeta, Nereididae); state of the art for identification of Mediterranean species. <em>Atti della Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali, Memorie.</em> (serie B) 122, 147- 164., available online at https://doi.org/10.2424/ASTSN.M.2015.13 [details] Available for editors [request]basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details] additional source Day, J. H. (1967). [Errantia] A monograph on the Polychaeta of Southern Africa. Part 1. Errantia. British Museum (Natural History), London. pp. vi, 1–458, xxix., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/8596 [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. <em>[Book chapter].</em> 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 Georgieva, Magdalena N.; Wiklund, Helena; Ramos, Dino A.; Neal, Lenka; Glasby, Christopher J.; Gunton, Laetitia M. (2023). The annelid community of a natural deep-sea whale fall off eastern Australia. <em>Records of the Australian Museum.</em> 75(3): 167-213., available online at https://journals.australian.museum/georgieva-2023-rec-aust-mus-753-167213/ page(s): 189, figure 17; note: Un-named Nereis recorded (with molecular data) from Whale skull & vertebrae off Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, beam trawl, start: 28.05°S 154.08°E, 999 m, end: 28.10°S 154.08°E, 1013 m [details] Available for editors [request]additional source Fauchald, K. (1977). The polychaete worms, definitions and keys to the orders, families and genera. <em>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, CA (USA), Science Series.</em> 28:1-188., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/123110.pdf [details] identification resource Ramírez-Hernández, Adriana; Hernández-Alcántara, Pablo; Solís-Weiss, Vivianne. (2015). <em>Nereis </em><em>alacranensis</em>, a new species of polychaete (Annelida, Nereididae) from Alacranes Reef, southern Gulf of Mexico, with a key to <em>Nereis </em>from the Grand Caribbean. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 4012(1): 156-166., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4012.1.8 page(s): 163; note: Key to Grand Caribbean species of Nereis [details] From editor or global species database
Etymology Believed to be named after the name of the nymphs in Greek mythology. The Nereids (Greek: Νηρηΐδες Nereides, sg. Νηρηΐς Nereis) are sea nymphs, female spirits of sea waters, the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris [source: Wikipedia] [details]Grammatical gender Feminine. Linnaeus used feminine adjective 'pelagica' for the type species name. [details] Status Possible nomina dubia. Thirteen Nereis names inadequately described with "barely enough to recognize them as polychaetes" and thus regarded as nomina dubia by Putignano et al (2026: 338) are as follows: Nereis acustris Linnaeus, 1767 Nereis aegyptia (Savigny in Lamark, 1818) Nereis crassa Gmelin in Linnaeus, 1788 Nereis frontalis Bosc, 1802 Nereis lineata Delle Chiaje, 1827 Nereis litoralis Leach in Johnston, 1865 Nereis peruviana Ehlers, 1868 Nereis phyllophorus Ross, 1819 Nereis quadricorna Delle Chiaje, 1841 Nereis tethycola Delle Chiaje, 1831 Nereis tigrina Zachs, 1933 Nereis ventilabrum (Delle Chiaje, 1827) Nereis villosa Dalyell, 1853 [details] Unreviewed
Habitat Known from seamounts and knolls [details]Type species Type species Nereis pelagica Linnaeus 1758 in Fauchald, 1977<246>. [details]
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Johnstonia) (from synonym Johnstonia Quatrefages, 1850)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Lycoris) (from synonym Lycoris Lamarck, 1818) To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Nereis) To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Thoosa) (from synonym Thoosa Kinberg, 1865) To Genbank (from synonym Lycoris Lamarck, 1818) To Genbank To NMNH Extant Collection (USNM 23959 Specimen-1) To The Arctic Traits Database (20 traits) To Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (YPM IZ 098054) To ITIS Unreviewed
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Hosted externally
Image from typetaxon 
Image from typetaxon |
