POLYCHAETA ( ANNELIDA ) OF THE NATUNA ISLANDS ,

Abstract

One-hundred and twenty-nine polychaete species in 38 families are reported from continental shelf sediments off the Natuna Islands, South China Sea. Less than half (52) of all species identified could be assigned Linnaean binomial names because of the poor state of taxonomy for most groups in the region. Diagnoses and/or remarks are provided for most taxa and voucher specimens of all identified taxa are deposited in Museums in Indonesia, Singapore and Australia. Among the Linnaean-named species, twenty-three are reported for the first time from the South China Sea. Twelve genera and one family (Hartmaniellidae) are also new records for the area. A preliminary assessment of biogeographical affinities indicated that of the 52 Linnaean-named species reported herein, six species (12%) appear to be restricted to the South China Sea, 17 species (33%) occur in both the South China Sea and neighbouring Indo-Malayan peninsula, and 41 species (79%) are Indo-West Pacific endemics. A few species appear to have a wider pantropical or cosmopolitan distribution, but these records in particular need to be verified.