The Lumbrineridae Schmarda have more than 200 valid species across 19 genera and are a globally abundant and diverse family of polychaetes that are common in the muddy and sandy bottoms of continental shelves. Ninoe Kinberg is a genus that comprises 32 valid species, At least 13 valid lumbrinerid species are known to occur in Namibia and, among them, only one species belonging to this family has ever been described from Namibian waters. Considering that over the past two decades alone, six new genera have been erected and more than 40 new species described globally within Lumbrineridae, the diversity within this region may be underestimated.
Further, exploitation of mineral resources, especially the extraction of diamonds off southern Namibia, continues to reveal species that cannot be identified using local or regional guides, thereby highlighting the limited research conducted in describing faunal communities in this region and the anticipation that many more undescribed species may be found.
A new species of Ninoe is described from samples collected during a survey conducted by Anchor Environmental Consultants (Pty) Ltd and Debmarine Namibia. This species represents the first new record of Ninoe from Namibia in four decades.
Extract from Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom entitled “A new species of Ninoe (Annelida: Lumbrineridae) from the continental shelf off southern Namibia.”
