Abstract
Phestilla subodiosussp. nov. (Nudibranchia: Trinchesiidae) is a novel species that feeds on corals in the genus Montipora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) which are economically important in the aquarium industry. Nuclear-encoded H3, 28SC1-C2, and mitochondrial-encoded COI and 16S markers were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), morphological data, and feeding specialization all support the designation of Phestilla subodiosussp. nov. as a distinct species. Although new to science, Phestilla subodiosussp. nov. had been extensively reported by aquarium hobbyists as a prolific pest over the past two decades. The species fell into a well-studied genus, which could facilitate research into its control in reef aquaria. Our phylogenetic analysis also revealed Tenellia chaetopterana formed a well-supported clade with Phestilla. Based upon a literature review, its original morphological description, and our phylogenetic hypothesis, we reclassified this species as Phestilla chaetopteranacomb. nov.
Highlights
IntroductionWhile many Nudibranchia species and genera have yet to be described (Gosliner et al 2015), the deeper relationships in the systematics of several superfamilies and families within this group have been repeatedly investigated and revised in taxonomic and systematic studies employing both morphological and molecular techniques (Wägele and Willan 2000; Carmona et al 2013; Cella et al 2016; Korshunova et al 2017a, b, c, 2018a, b, 2019a, b; Martynov et al 2019)
An online version of the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) program (Puillandre et al 2012) was employed to delineate species using a dataset of 15 Phestilla c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences from eleven species (Suppl. material 1: Table S1)
The analysis revealed that P. lugubris and P. sibogae had very similar COI sequences (p = 2.2% ± 1.6%), providing evidence for their synonymy
Summary
While many Nudibranchia species and genera have yet to be described (Gosliner et al 2015), the deeper relationships in the systematics of several superfamilies and families within this group have been repeatedly investigated and revised in taxonomic and systematic studies employing both morphological and molecular techniques (Wägele and Willan 2000; Carmona et al 2013; Cella et al 2016; Korshunova et al 2017a, b, c, 2018a, b, 2019a, b; Martynov et al 2019). Studies that combined morphological and molecular approaches have examined the phylogenetic relationships within Phestilla (Faucci et al 2007; Cella et al 2016; Korshunova et al 2017c) and several Phestilla species have been used as model organisms for studying pharmaceutical drug targets (Kimberly 2003), larval development (Harris 1975; Haramaty 1991; Pasquinelli et al 2000), invertebrate metamorphosis (Hadfield and Pennington 1990; Hadfield et al 2001; Hadfield et al 2006; Ritson-Williams et al 2009), and predatory control of corallivores in situ (Gochfeld and Aeby 1997) Due to their diet, Phestilla nudibranchs present a challenge to coral aquaculture In the case of Phestilla subodiosus sp. nov. the species has not even been described despite online reports of it from as early as 2001 (Gray 2001)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
