What’s in a name? A worm by any other name must surely be as tasty!

Inconsistent use of common and species names of

bait polychaete worms can affect management

C.A. Simon, A.N. du Toit, H. van Rensburg, C. Naidoo, C.A. Matthee

Stellenbosch University

FBIP Forum, Cape St. Francis, 2018

Species Common name

All species of the genus

Arenicola

Bloodworm

All marine species of the

phyla Platyhelminthes,

Nemertea, Sipunculida and

Annelida, but excluding the

genera Nereis, Pseudonereis

and Gunnarea

Any seaworm, including

polychaete, wonder shingle,

moonshine, coral, pot,

pudding, rock, tape &

flatworms, but excluding

mussel worms and Cape reef-

worms

Polychaetes used as bait, according to Dept.

of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Which polychaete species are used: field guides

Common name Species name according to

DAFF

Species name according to field

guides

Bloodworm# Arenicola loveni Arenicola loveni+*$

Cape reef-worm Gunnarea gaimardi (capensis) Gunnarea gaimardi (capensis) $

Case worm X Diopatra cuprea+

Coral worm Gunnarea gaimardi (capensis) Eunice aphroditois*

Errant worm Eunice aphroditois X

Estuarine wonderworm X Marphysa elityeni$

Moonlight#/moonshine

worm Arabella iricolor X

Mussel worm# Pseudonereis podocirra (variegata) Pseudonereis podocirra

(variegata)+*$

Pot, pudding, shingle

worm Nephtys, Lumbrineris spp X

Rock worm Pseudonereis podocirra (variegata) X

Wonderworm# Marphysa elityeni Eunice aphroditois$

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Names of bait polychaetes according to literature P. vulgaris

P. podocirra

Marphysa sp.

M. elityeni

Eunice aphroditois

Diopatra cuprea

Diopatra sp.

D. neapolitana

G. gaimardi

A. loveni

Nereididae

Eunicidae

Sabellaridae

Arenicolidae

Onuphidae

Aim: Determine which polychaete species are utilised as bait, and the common names

by which collectors know them

Objectives:

• Identify bait polychaetes collected by bait collectors

• Develop consensus of names according to general

usage

• Generate barcodes for species collected

Bait collections • 22 bait collectors

Veldrift, Saldanha Bay, Melkbosstrand, Kommetjie, Muizenburg, Strand, Betty’s Bay, Hermanus, Pearly Beach, Struisbaai, Witsand, Knysna, Port Elizabeth

Identified to common name

• In lab Photographed and identified to species name using Day (1967)

1

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Names according to Bait collectors S. dayi

P. namibia

P. podocirra

L. tetraura

M. elityeni

M. corallina

L. natalensis

H. quinquedens

Diopatra sp.

G. gaimardi

A. loveni

A. gilchristi

Nereididae

Eunicidae

Sabellaridae

Arenicolidae

Onuphidae

Lumbrineridae

Sipunculidae

11

12

Online Survey

• Photographs of worms included in survey

Of worms collected by bait collectors

Of worms identified by DAFF (supplied by Charles Griffiths and George Branch)

• 82 responses

2 KZN

4 Gauteng

13 Eastern Cape

64 Western Cape

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30%

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60%

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90%

100%

Fre

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Eastern Cape

Perinereis

Pseudonereis

Nephtys

Arabella

Lumbrineris

Lysidice

Marphysa

Eunice

Heptaceros

Diopatra

Gunnarea

Arenicola

Abarenicola

24

40

61

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51

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Western Cape

Perinereis

Pseudonereis

Nephtys

Arabella

Lumbrineris

Lysidice

Marphysa

Eunice

Heptaceros

Diopatra

Gunnarea

Arenicola

Abarenicola

Identifications according to online survey

Recommendations: Permitted worms Snake, Pudding, Pot worm =

Lumbrineridae, Arabellidae

Wonderworm, Shingle = Eunicidae

Moonshine worm = Onuphidae

Bloodworm =

Arenicolidae

Recommendations: Prohibited worms

• Prohibited species should be specified by name and habitat

Mussel worm, rock worms =

Nereididae living within mussel beds

Coral worm = Sabellaridae

forming extensive biogenic

reefs

• COI marker amplified and sequenced for all worms collected

• Results of 5 species raised warning flags

Diopatra sp

Lysidice natalensis

Lumbrineris tatraura

Marphysa

Gunnarea gaimardi

DNA Barcoding/sequencing

COI

Diopatra species Hendré van Rensburg

Mediterranean

Marphysa spp

• Two species collected as wonderworm M. elityeni

M. corallina

Originally described from Hawaii – alien or undescribed indigenous species?

COI

Gunnarea gaimardi

• Two distinct lineages Two species?

Lumbrineris tetraura Lysidice natalensis

• Species from SA ≠ species from India

• Scenario 1 Species from SA ≠ species from China

2 species in SA

• Scenario 2 1 widespread species that includes 4 others

Conclusions

• Inconsistent use of common and species names creates loopholes and confusion

Develop identification guide, using easy to see characteristics, to be distributed with bait collecting permits

• Further studies with additional markers needed to resolve taxonomy of Marphysa corallina, Lumbrineris tetraura & Gunnarea gaimardi

Thank You

• Organisers of FBIP Forum

• Bait collectors

• Research partners

• Funders

Thank you: Students