First record of Perinereis macropus and Perinereis cultrifera (Annelida, Polychaeta) from rocky shores east Algeria, (SW Mediterranean sea)

Abstract

Polychaetous from Algeria are little studied, despite their importance, they comprise diverse, and ecologically significant species, in the present study individuals of two Nereididea species, Perinereis macropus and Perinereis cultrifera were sampled on the rocky shores of Collo and Skikda Coasts, and were described for the first time with biometric measurements, morphological variations and reproduction aspects, in attempt to provide general information about this group from Algeria, necessary for other future works, especially those on marine biodiversity; we marked the absence of P. macropus at the second site, affected by pollution, as well as the difference between algae associated with each species; weight and size variables show differences intersites and among species; oogenesis is asynrochronous, mature oocytes occur during July and May for P. macropus and P. cultrifera respectively, and only adults of P. macropus show epitokal modifications, the semelparity character is observed in both sexes of the two species.