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Title: 50 Shades of Red: the red-reticulate group of Goniobranchus (Heterobranchia: Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae)
The Chromodorididae family tree has been refined in recent years via molecular phylogenetic analyses which have clarified many relationships between taxa. The genus Goniobranchus is one clade within Chromodorididae that was previously included within the genus Chromodoris. However, based on recent molecular phylogenetic results, Chromodoris was determined to be non-monophyletic and Goniobranchus was resurrected. In this study, we performed molecular and morphological analyses to resolve the internal relationships among Goniobranchus species, specifically the red-reticulate species complex of three previously described species, Goniobranchus tinctorius, G. reticulatus, and G. alderi, which display a red network of lines over a white mantle and are widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We sequenced two mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S) and one nuclear gene (H3) for 339 Goniobranchus specimens, and in our phylogenetic analyses the red-reticulate species group emerged as a monophyly. This current work has indicated there are at least eleven distinct species within this species complex, including the only three previously described species and another described species, G. splendidus, was added to this clade. The molecular data and the morphological differences among species will be discussed, and we present a possible way forward to clarify the taxonomy of the red-reticulate species complex.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1856407
PAR ID:
10349310
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
World Congress of Malacology Spixiana
Volume:
30A
Page Range / eLocation ID:
156
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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