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Neither slugs nor snails: a molecular reappraisal of the gastropod family Velutinidae
- Publication Year :
- 2022
- Publisher :
- Zenodo, 2022.
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Abstract
- The systematics of the marine mollusc family Velutinidae has long been neglected by taxonomists, mainly because their often internal and fragile shells offer no morphological characters. Velutinids are usually undersampled owing to their cryptic mantle coloration on the solitary, social or colonial ascidians on which they feed and lay eggs. In this study, we address the worldwide diversity and phylogeny of Velutinidae based on the largest molecular dataset (313 specimens) to date, accounting for > 50% of the currently accepted genera, coupled with morphological and ecological data. Velutinids emerge as a diverse group, encompassing four independent subfamily-level lineages, two of which are newly described herein: Marseniopsinae subfam. nov. and Hainotinae subfam. nov. High diversity was found at genus and species levels, with two newly described genera (Variolipallium gen. nov. and Pacifica gen. nov.) and ≥ 86 species in the assayed dataset, 58 of which are new to science (67%). Velutinidae show a remarkable morphological plasticity in shell morphology, mantle extension and chromatic patterns. This variability is likely to be the result of different selective forces, including habitat, depth and trophic interactions.
- Subjects :
- cryptic species
host–parasite systems
Insecta
Arthropoda
Gastropoda
Biodiversity
new genera
taxonomic revision
Littorinimorpha
Coleoptera
Mollusca
Animalia
Animal Science and Zoology
Lampyridae
Velutinidae
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
mimicry
molecular systematics
biodiversity
Taxonomy
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ac757fcfc374ac86df66622d74509932