First confirmed record of Perinereis obfuscata (Grube, 1878) (Polychaeta: Nereididae) from the coastline of Indian mainland

Perinereis obfuscata (Grube, 1878), a G1 group species, is reported from the rocky shores of the Gujarat coastline based on a museum specimen deposited in the collection of the Zoological Survey of India. This species is characterized by a single bar-shaped paragnath on area VI and a barely expanded proximal region of the dorsal ligule in the posterior parapodia. Although P.obfuscata has previously been reported from the Great Nicobar Island, the earlier record lacks repository details and voucher number, making it taxonomically unverifiable. Therefore, the present study represents the first confirmed, voucher-supported record of P. obfuscata from the mainland coast of India. Additionally, this paper provides detailed taxonomic observations on the important morphological characteristics of P. obfuscata and documents a significant range extension from the Great Nicobar Island to the west coast of Indian mainland, contributing to the current knowledge of polychaete diversity along the Indian coastline.