Abstract
Mangroves of the Indo-West Pacific have remained poorly explored, so even the diversity of the onchidiid slugs, which are some of the most abundant animals in mangroves of the Indo-West Pacific, is not well known. Thanks to several years spent exploring mangroves in the Indo-West Pacific (more than 260 stations), especially in South-East Asia, the diversity of mangrove gastropods can now be addressed through revisions following an integrative taxonomy approach (nomenclature, field observations, comparative anatomy and DNA sequences). A new genus of onchidiid slugs is described, Paromoionchis Dayrat & Goulding gen. nov., which includes five species, three of which are new: Paromoionchis boholensis Dayrat & Goulding gen. et sp. nov., P. daemelii (Semper, 1880) com. nov., P. goslineri Dayrat & Goulding gen. et sp. nov., P. penangensis Dayrat & Goulding gen. et sp. nov. and P. tumidus (Semper, 1880) comb. nov. Paromoionchis gen. nov. is distributed from western India to the subtropical waters of Japan (33° N) and southeastern Australia (33° S). The creation of new taxon names is supported by rigorous nomenclature: the types of all existing species names in the family were examined, the original descriptions carefully studied and nomenclatural issues addressed. The diversity and biogeography of this new genus is discussed in a broader context.
Highlights
Onchidiid slugs are closely related to land snails and slugs, but they are truly marine because their larvae develop in seawater and because their adult life takes place in the intertidal (Dayrat et al 2011a)
Nomenclature Five species names are regarded as names of doubtful application for a variety of reasons: Onchidium griseum Plate, 1893, O. lixii Labbé, 1934, O. palaense Semper, 1880, O. papuanum Semper, 1880 and O. straelenii Labbé, 1934
Semper indicated the absence of a rectal gland and of an accessory penial gland, but O. palaense cannot be reliably assigned to a genus without information on its digestive system type, because slugs without a rectal gland or an accessory penial gland are found in more than one clade
Summary
Onchidiid slugs are closely related to land snails and slugs, but they are truly marine because their larvae develop in seawater and because their adult life takes place in the intertidal (Dayrat et al 2011a). One subclade – traditionally referred to as Onchidium Buchannan, 1800 – has diversified in the Indo-West Pacific, especially South-East Asia. Another subclade – traditionally referred to as Onchidella J.E. Gray, 1850 – has diversified outside the Indo-West Pacific, especially in temperate waters. 1850 – has diversified outside the Indo-West Pacific, especially in temperate waters These subclades overlap geographically at the borders between the subtropical Indo-West Pacific and temperate waters (i.e., southeastern Australia, South Africa and Japan)
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