Leila Carmona

A Tale That Morphology Fails to Tell: A Molecular Phylogeny of Aeolidiidae (Aeolidida, Nudibranchia, Gastropoda)

Aeolidida is one of the largest clades of nudibranchs with at least 560 known species. However, its systematics has not been studied in a comprehensive manner. Phylogenetic analyses of larger clades such as Nudibranchia or Cladobranchia have usually included a poor sample of aeolids. Furthermore, phylogenetic studies at the family or generic level in Aeolidida are a few and far between. The first molecular phylogeny of the aeolid family Aeolidiidae is presented here. This study, the most comprehensive for Aeolidida to date, uses new sequences of two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) genes and one nuclear gene (H3). 251 specimens from members of seven families of Aeolidida, including 39 species of Aeolidiidae were studied. Excluding Pleurolidia juliae, Aeolidiidae is monophyletic. Our results resolve the systematic relationships within the Aeolidiidae at a generic level, requiring changes in the systematics of this family. Spurilla, Anteaeolidiella, Limenandra and Aeolidia are well-supported and monophyletic clades. Aeolidiella stephanieae is transferred to Berghia and Aeolidiopsis ransoni and Spurilla salaamica to Baeolidia, to maintain the monophyletic lineages reflected in this study. The systematics of Cerberilla remains unclear. Some species earlier attributed to Aeolidiella are now grouped in a previously unnamed clade that we designate as Bulbaeolidia gen. nov.

The end of a long controversy: systematics of the genus Limenandra (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Aeolidiidae)

Limenandra Haefelfinger and Stamm 1958 is a small genus within the Aeolidiidae with, until this paper, only two species: Limenandra nodosa Haefelfinger and Stamm 1958 and Limenandra fusiformis Baba 1949. Although most recent authors have regarded Limenandra as a junior synonym of Baeolidia Bergh 1888, recent molecular studies have demonstrated its monophyletic status and have rejected the circumtropical distribution attributed to the type species, L. nodosa. The present paper reviews the previously known species of Limenandra with additional morphological data and describes three new species: Limenandra barnosii sp. nov. and Limenandra rosanae sp. nov. from the Indo-Pacific are easily distinguished from all other Limenandra species by their vivid and bright colour patterns, while Limenandra confusa sp. nov., also from the Indo-Pacific, is very similar to the Atlantic and Mediterranean L. nodosa. The five species differ in colouration, the size and ornamentation of the cerata, the rhinophorial papillae, details of the reproductive system and the number of salivary glands. Additionally, Limenandra can be easily distinguished from other Aeolidiidae based on differences in the radular and receptaculum seminis morphology.

A Radical Solution: The Phylogeny of the Nudibranch Family Fionidae

Tergipedidae represents a diverse and successful group of aeolid nudibranchs, with approximately 200 species distributed throughout most marine ecosystems and spanning all biogeographical regions of the oceans. However, the systematics of this family remains poorly understood since no modern phylogenetic study has been undertaken to support any of the proposed classifications. The present study is the first molecular phylogeny of Tergipedidae based on partial sequences of two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) genes and one nuclear gene (H3). Maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian analysis were conducted in order to elucidate the systematics of this family. Our results do not recover the traditional Tergipedidae as monophyletic, since it belongs to a larger clade that includes the families Eubranchidae, Fionidae and Calmidae. This newly recovered clade is here referred to as Fionidae, the oldest name for this taxon. In addition, the present molecular phylogeny does not recover the traditional systematic relationships at a generic level, and therefore, systematic changes are required. We recognize the following clades within Fionidae: Calma, Cuthona, Cuthonella, Eubranchus, Fiona, Murmania, Tenellia, Tergipes, Tergiposacca gen. nov., Rubramoena gen. nov. and Abronica gen. nov. The type species of Tergiposacca, T. longicerata nov. sp. is described. The other two new genera have a previously described species as their type species. Most of these taxa, with the exceptions of Eubranchus, Tergipes and Fiona are composed of radically different constituent species from their traditional membership, but appear to be supported by morphological synapomorphies as well as molecular data. Aenigmastyletus, Catriona, Phestilla, Tenellia and Trinchesia are nested within other clades and, thus are here considered as synonyms of the larger clades. The phylogenetic position and validity of Myja, Guyvalvoria, Leostyletus and Subcuthona still need to be tested in future studies when material becomes available.

Review of Baeolidia , the largest genus of Aeolidiidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia), with the description of five new species

Twenty species of the subgenus Pedionis occurring in the Chinese fauna are recognized, including two new species, P. aculeata sp. nov., P. papillata sp. nov. from Guizhou Prov., China. And, P. nankunshanensis Li, Dai & Li, 2011 is here considered as a junior synonym of P. yunnana Zhang & Viraktamath, 2010. A key to Chinese species of subgenus Pedionis is also provided as well as a checklist.

Protaeolidiella atra Baba, 1955 versus Pleurolidia juliae Burn, 1966: One or two species?

Protaeolidiella atra Baba, 1955 and Pleurolidia juliae Burn, 1966 are two species traditionally regarded as the members of Aeolidiidae but recently attributed to Facelinidae. Because of their apparent similarities, Rudman (J Molluscan Stud 56:505–514, 1990) rendered P. juliae as a junior synonym of P. atra. In this paper, we conducted a review of both species and completed their descriptions with new data regarding the anatomy of the reproductive system. P. atra and P. juliae have differences in their colouration, number of cerata and characteristics of their reproductive system. Based on these differences, we conclude that these species are not conspecific and should be regarded as distinct taxa.

Burnaia Miller, 2001 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia): a facelinid genus with an Aeolidiidae’s outward appearance

In recent years, several morphological and molecular analyses have been undertaken to study the phylogenetic systematics of Aeolidiidae members. The monospecific genus Burnaia could not be included in the previous analysis, due to the lack of material. This study includes two specimens of Burnaia helicochorda from Australia and places them in their systematic position using two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes (COI and 16S, and H3, respectively). A description of its anatomy is also included with colour pictures of the animal and scanning electron micrographs of radula and jaws. Based on our results, B. helicochorda does not belong to Aeolidiidae since it appears nested among some facelinids.

A new nudibranch, Flabellina albomaculata sp. nov. (Flabellinidae), from the Cape Verde Archipelago with comparisons among all eastern Atlantic violet Flabellina spp.

Abstract A new species of the genus Flabellina is described from the Cape Verde Archipelago. This species is characterized by having smooth rhinophores and cerata not inserted on stalks. The ground colour is pinkish violet. The apical half or two-thirds of the rhinophores and oral tentacles are white. The garnet digestive gland is visible through the pinkish translucent ceratal surface. Opaque white spots are irregularly scattered on the ceratal surface, mainly on the upper half. This species is compared with all the eastern Atlantic violet Flabellina spp. and with Piseinotecus gaditanus. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C03CD06B-5D21-4C07-980D-B48AAB7FC2D4

Polycerella emertoni and Favorinus ghanensis : two new alien sea slug molluscs from the Moroccan Atlantic coasts

Polycerella emertoni and Favorinus ghanensis were originally described from Connecticut and Ghana respectively. While the last species has been found only twice since it was described, P. emertoni has already been reported in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (Portugal, Gulf of Cadiz and Gulf of Naples). In this paper, we provide new records of both species from the region of Agadir (Morocco). Since the specimens studied in this paper were collected within harbour areas, we suggest shipping activities as the most plausible vector of introduction.

First report of Calma glaucoides (Alder & Hancock, 1854) (Nudibranchia, Calmidae) from Sweden

In the present contribution, the geographic range of Calma glaucoides Alder & Hancock, 1854 is updated, since it was found for the first time in Sweden. This species was previously recorded from different localities in the northeastern Atlantic and western Mediterranean. A molecular approach was used to verify the identity of the specimens.

First record of the Aeolid Anteaeolidiella fijensis (Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae) from India

The aeolid Anteaeolidiella fijensis Carmona, Bhave, Salunkhe, Pola, Gosliner and Cervera, 2014 is reported for the first time from India. Differences in the external colouration compared with the original description hampered its identification, and therefore, a molecular approach was needed. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses of partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA genes, and the nuclear gene histone-3 were used to infer phylogenetic trees. ABGD species delimitation analyses and morphological study complemented this contribution. This is the first record of Anteaeolidiella fijensis outside the type locality and extends its distribution range remarkably. Here, we also complete the original description with new data regarding the external colouration and internal anatomy. Finally, the instraspecific variation may be related with an ontogenetic process or be a populationally distinctive feature.