Reading between the lines: revealing cryptic species diversity and colour patterns in Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Chromodorididae)

Abstract

A molecular phylogeny is presented for 48 species of the genus Hypselodoris (Family: Chromodorididae), which incorporated 64 newly sequenced specimens. Hypselodoris is monophyletic and divided into Glades that exhibit varying support. Novel diversity was found, with the distinctness of 17 new species of Hypselodoris supported by the molecular phylogeny, subsequent species delimitation analysis and morphological data. The following species are described here: Hypselodoris alburtuqali Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris brycei Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris cerisae Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris confetti Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris iba Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris juniperae Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris katherinae Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris lacuna Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris melanesica Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris paradisa Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris peril Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris roo Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris rositoi Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris skyleri Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris variobranchia Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov., Hypselodoris violacea Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov. and Hypselodoris yarae Gosliner & Johnson sp. nov. Further examination of colour patterns supports previous suggestions that inheritance of colour patterns from common ancestors occurs, as do convergences, driven by Mullerian mimicry.