Variability in the white spot: a new genus and species of Discodorididae (Nudibranchia) from the central and western Pacific Ocean

Author:

Donohoo Samantha A12ORCID,Gosliner Terrence M12ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, California Academy of Sciences , 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118 , USA

2. Department of Biology, San Francisco State University , 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132 , USA

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, a new genus in the nudibranch family Discodorididae, Avaldesia n. gen., is established for Avaldesia albomacula (Chan & Gosliner, 2007) and Avaldesia tahala (Chan & Gosliner, 2007), originally assigned to the genus Thordisa Bergh, 1877, and a new species, Avaldesia tamatoa n. sp., described here from the central Pacific. To establish species relationships within Avaldesia, as well as the placement of Avaldesia within Discodorididae, we utilized four molecular markers (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S rRNA, histone H3 and 28S rRNA) in our Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses. Four species delimitation methods were complemented by morphological dissections and scanning electron microscopy. Our results reveal a clear separation between Avaldesia and Thordisa and suggest that Avaldesia is more closely related to the genera Hoplodoris Bergh, 1880 and Asteronotus Ehrenberg, 1831. The most characteristic features of Avaldesia include a radula with increasing denticulation towards the fimbriate outermost laterals and a reproductive system with a lobate vestibular gland, occasional hollow vestibular spine and a penis armed with one or more penial spines. All species of Avaldesia are found in shallow water (5–10 m depth) on rocky reefs, sandy sediments and algal fields with distributions across the Indo-Pacific.

Funder

National Science Foundation

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

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