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A multilocus view on Mediterranean aeolid nudibranchs (Mollusca): Systematics and cryptic diversity of Flabellinidae and Piseinotecidae
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Recent molecular studies revealed high level of endemism and numerous cryptic species within opisthobranchs, with Mediterranean taxa clearly understudied. Here we used genetic data from both mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments as well as morphological data from taxonomically relevant characters to investigate the phylogenetic relationships and systematics of Mediterranean taxa of the Flabellinidae and Piseinotecidae families. Phylogenetic analyses based on Bayesian and Maximum-Likelihood methods indicate that Flabellinidae and Pisenotecidae taxa and species within the genera Flabellina, Calmella and Piseinotecus do not form monophyletic clades. These results are supported by our morphological analyses which allowed the re-evaluation of the triseriate radula condition in Pisenotecidae and Calmella taxa and their inclusion in the genus Flabellina as Flabellina gaditana comb. nov. (synonym of F. confusa), Flabellina gabinierei comb. nov. and Flabellina cavolini comb. nov. Species delimitation and barcoding gap analyses allowed uncovering cryptic species within Flabellina gracilis (Alder and Hancock, 1844), F. trophina (Bergh, 1890), F. verrucosa (M. Sars, 1829) and F. ischitana Hirano and Thompson, 1990, the latter with an Atlantic form which is under description. This study corroborates the relevance of combining molecular and morphological data from multiple populations and species in the assessment of nudibranch diversity and classification.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine
Systematics
Species complex
16S
Evolution
Gastropoda
Multilocus study
Flabellina
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
03 medical and health sciences
Monophyly
Behavior and Systematics
Genus
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Mediterranean Sea
Species delimitation
Genetics
Animals
Molecular Biology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Phylogeny
Cryptic specie
Cryptic species
Mollusca
Sibling species
Bayes Theorem
Biodiversity
Likelihood Functions
Ribosomal
biology
Phylogenetic tree
Ecology
Animal
biology.organism_classification
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematic
Sibling specie
Likelihood Function
030104 developmental biology
Taxon
Evolutionary biology
Flabellina gracilis
RNA
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f875a27d7e9b229c4410b43b2a18dd9c