Annotated checklist of the polychaete species of the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula: Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf

Abstract

Based on the literature, all records of Polychaeta from the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, i.e. the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf, were reviewed, and a list of the valid species recognised from this area is provided. For each species, information on synonyms, type locality and distribution is supplied, together with taxonomic remarks where necessary. Altogether 62 families and 334 genera have been recorded from the area, comprising 807 valid taxa, i.e. 788 species, 16 subspecies and three species groups. Based on this census, 161 taxa (20 %) can be considered endemic to the Arabian region. The bibliography included comprises all references of Polychaeta from this region as well as literature used to check the taxonomic status and the original descriptions of the species listed. By presenting a complete overview of the valid species this work summarises our current knowledge of the diversity of the polychaete fauna of the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, providing baseline data for future investigations.