WoRMS taxon details
Marphysa mossambica (Peters, 1854)
209829 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:209829)
accepted
Species
Eunice mossambica Peters, 1854 · unaccepted (superseded original combination)
Marphysa moribidii Idris, Hutchings & Arshad, 2014 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Nauphanta mossambica (Peters, 1854) · unaccepted (superseded subsequent combination)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
(of Eunice mossambica Peters, 1854) Peters, Wilhelm C.H. (1854). Über die Gattung <i>Bdella</i>, Savigny, (<i>Limnatis</i>, Moquin-Tandon) und die in Mossambique beobachteten Anneliden, wovon hier eine Mittheilung folgt [informal title in meeting report]. <em>Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin.</em> 1854: 607-614., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11068511
page(s): 612 [no figures] [details]
page(s): 612 [no figures] [details]
Lectotype ZMB 4005, geounit Mozambican Coast
, Type locality contained in Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone
Lectotype ZMB 4005, geounit Mozambican Coast [details]
type locality contained in Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone [from synonym] [view taxon] [details]
Distribution also distributed in Philippine Islands, Australia, Bay of Bengal, India and East Africa (Fauvel, 1953).
Distribution also distributed in Philippine Islands, Australia, Bay of Bengal, India and East Africa (Fauvel, 1953). [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2026). World Polychaeta Database. Marphysa mossambica (Peters, 1854). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=209829 on 2026-08-04
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Nomenclature
original description
(of Eunice mossambica Peters, 1854) Peters, Wilhelm C.H. (1854). Über die Gattung <i>Bdella</i>, Savigny, (<i>Limnatis</i>, Moquin-Tandon) und die in Mossambique beobachteten Anneliden, wovon hier eine Mittheilung folgt [informal title in meeting report]. <em>Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin.</em> 1854: 607-614., available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11068511
page(s): 612 [no figures] [details]
original description (of Marphysa moribidii Idris, Hutchings & Arshad, 2014) Idris, Izwandy; Hutchings, Pat; Arshad, Aziz. (2014). Description of a new species of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and comparisons with species from Marphysa Group A from the Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean. <em>Memoirs of Museum Victoria.</em> 71: 109-121., available online at http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/2010-2019/2014-vol-71/idris-hutchings-and-arshad/
page(s): 110 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 612 [no figures] [details]
original description (of Marphysa moribidii Idris, Hutchings & Arshad, 2014) Idris, Izwandy; Hutchings, Pat; Arshad, Aziz. (2014). Description of a new species of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and comparisons with species from Marphysa Group A from the Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean. <em>Memoirs of Museum Victoria.</em> 71: 109-121., available online at http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/2010-2019/2014-vol-71/idris-hutchings-and-arshad/
page(s): 110 [details] Available for editors
[request]Taxonomy
source of synonymy
Fauvel, P. (1917). Annélides Polychètes de L'Australie meridionale. <em>Archives de Zoologie Expérimentale et Générale.</em> 56: 159-277, plates IV-VIII., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6322379 [details]
redescription Idris, Izwandy; Hutchings, Pat; Arshad, Aziz. (2014). Description of a new species of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and comparisons with species from Marphysa Group A from the Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean. <em>Memoirs of Museum Victoria.</em> 71: 109-121., available online at http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/2010-2019/2014-vol-71/idris-hutchings-and-arshad/
page(s): 119; note: not a full redescription, but with notes relating to a re-examination of the lectotype [details] Available for editors [request]
redescription Glasby, Christopher J.; Biriukova, Olga; Hutchings, Pat; Daffe, Guillemine; Lavesque, Nicolas. (2025). Redescription of the enigmatic Marphysa mossambica (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) and description of two new Marphysa species from northern Australia. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 5717(2): 151-179., available online at https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5717.2.1
page(s): 157, figures 2-4; note: morphology based on Lectotype and paralectotypes as examined in Idris et al. (2014), molecular data from Kenya, Mida Creek, 3.3261°S 39.96583°E, intertidal mud flat, specimens held in MNHN Paris. [details] Available for editors [request]
status source Glasby, Chris J.; Hutchings, Patricia A. (2010). A new species of <i>Marphysa</i> Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicida: Eunicidae) from northern Australia and a review of similar taxa from the Indo-west Pacific, including the genus <i>Nauphanta</i> Kinberg, 1865. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 2352(1): 29–45., available online at http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2352.1.2
page(s): 37 [details] Available for editors [request]
redescription Idris, Izwandy; Hutchings, Pat; Arshad, Aziz. (2014). Description of a new species of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and comparisons with species from Marphysa Group A from the Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean. <em>Memoirs of Museum Victoria.</em> 71: 109-121., available online at http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/books-and-journals/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/2010-2019/2014-vol-71/idris-hutchings-and-arshad/
page(s): 119; note: not a full redescription, but with notes relating to a re-examination of the lectotype [details] Available for editors
[request]redescription Glasby, Christopher J.; Biriukova, Olga; Hutchings, Pat; Daffe, Guillemine; Lavesque, Nicolas. (2025). Redescription of the enigmatic Marphysa mossambica (Polychaeta: Eunicidae) and description of two new Marphysa species from northern Australia. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 5717(2): 151-179., available online at https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5717.2.1
page(s): 157, figures 2-4; note: morphology based on Lectotype and paralectotypes as examined in Idris et al. (2014), molecular data from Kenya, Mida Creek, 3.3261°S 39.96583°E, intertidal mud flat, specimens held in MNHN Paris. [details] Available for editors
[request]status source Glasby, Chris J.; Hutchings, Patricia A. (2010). A new species of <i>Marphysa</i> Quatrefages, 1865 (Polychaeta: Eunicida: Eunicidae) from northern Australia and a review of similar taxa from the Indo-west Pacific, including the genus <i>Nauphanta</i> Kinberg, 1865. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 2352(1): 29–45., available online at http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2352.1.2
page(s): 37 [details] Available for editors
[request]Other
additional source
Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
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 Hartman, Olga. (1956). Polychaetous annelids erected by Treadwell, 1891 to 1948, together with a brief chronology. <em>Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.</em> 109(2): 239-310., available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2246/1145
note: Several mentions of Marphysa mossambica in connection with Hartman's synonymy of Marphysa simplex Treadwell, 1922 from Fiji with M mossambica [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Lollen, Kenyum; Munilkumar, Sukham; Chanu, Thongam Ibemcha; Sugumar, Ramkumar; Sahoo, Upasana; Porayil, Layana & Angmo, Sonam;. (2025). Genetic Validation of Marphysa Mossambica (Peters, 1854) from the West Coast of India. <em>Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences.</em> 41(4): 1-11., available online at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41208-025-00975-4
note: Marphysa mossambica record for Mumbai, India. The authors wrongly attribute GenBank genetic records for Philippine specimens as records for occurrrences in Brazil and include the records as Brazilian ...
[details]
[request]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 Hartman, Olga. (1956). Polychaetous annelids erected by Treadwell, 1891 to 1948, together with a brief chronology. <em>Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.</em> 109(2): 239-310., available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2246/1145
note: Several mentions of Marphysa mossambica in connection with Hartman's synonymy of Marphysa simplex Treadwell, 1922 from Fiji with M mossambica [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Lollen, Kenyum; Munilkumar, Sukham; Chanu, Thongam Ibemcha; Sugumar, Ramkumar; Sahoo, Upasana; Porayil, Layana & Angmo, Sonam;. (2025). Genetic Validation of Marphysa Mossambica (Peters, 1854) from the West Coast of India. <em>Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences.</em> 41(4): 1-11., available online at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41208-025-00975-4
note: Marphysa mossambica record for Mumbai, India. The authors wrongly attribute GenBank genetic records for Philippine specimens as records for occurrrences in Brazil and include the records as Brazilian ...
Marphysa mossambica record for Mumbai, India. The authors wrongly attribute GenBank genetic records for Philippine specimens as records for occurrrences in Brazil and include the records as Brazilian in their phylogenetic tree and table of genetic comparisons
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Lectotype ZMB 4005, geounit Mozambican Coast [details]
From editor or global species database
Type specimen Lectotype. ZMB 4005 was examined by Idris et al (2014) and earlier by Fauchald (1987) who designated it. Evidently it was Fauchald who selected the lectotype as he states "The lectotype was selected from F2046" and it is assumed he meant it was removed from that specimen lot and given the new registration of ZMB 4005. Fauchald gives no location information other than "Mocambique collected Peters". The small island of Mocambique (-15.0367, 40.7328) is a good location to which to attribute specimens collecte in the 1850s. [details]Unreviewed
Distribution also distributed in Philippine Islands, Australia, Bay of Bengal, India and East Africa (Fauvel, 1953). [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Malay (individual language) | ruat bakau (mangrove worm) [from synonym] | [details] |
