Coat of many colours-DNA reveals polymorphism of mantle patterns and colouration in Caribbean Cyphoma Röding, 1798 (Gastropoda, Ovulidae).

The iconic gastropod genus Cyphoma is commonly observed in the Caribbean, where it lives in association with various octocorallian hosts. Each species in the genus Cyphoma has a unique, characteristic mantle pattern and colouration, which separates the valid taxa. Because of its abundance and recognisability Cyphoma gibbosum has been used as a model organism in several studies concerning allelochemicals, reef degradation, and physical defence mechanisms. Molecular analyses based on four molecular markers (COI, 16S, H3 and 28S) for three Cyphoma species (C. gibbosum, C. mcgintyi, C. signatum) and an unidentified black morph, collected from three localities in the Caribbean, show that they represent morphological varieties of a single, genetically homogeneous species. This outcome is in agreement with previous anatomical studies. As a result C. mcgintyi and C. signatum are synonymised with C. gibbosum, which is a key result for future work using C. gibbosum as a model organism. The striking morphological differences in mantle pattern and colouration are hypothesised to be the result of one of three possible scenarios: rapid divergence, supergenes (including balanced polymorphism), or incipient speciation.

Granopupa in Iran, monophyly, and the fossil Granariinae (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Chondrinidae).

Indisputable Chondrinidae, Granariinae species, characterized by shell shape and apertural dentition, are known from Eocene deposits to the Recent. The generic classification of the extant species is based on conchological, anatomical and molecular data that are available now for most of the known species, including 'Granaria' persica as a representative of the once problematic group of so-called eastern Granaria species. According to molecular and anatomical characters, these eastern species have to be classified with Granopupa granum in Granopupa. Graniberia gen. n. is introduced for Granaria braunii on the basis of molecular and conchological data. For the pre-Pleistocene species, two generic names are equally well available now, viz. Granopupa and Granaria. Shell characters only do not enable a decision here. For the sake of nomenclatorial stability we propose to use Granaria for these species. Because both molecular and anatomical data most likely will never be known for the fossils, it will remain unclear whether the combined extant and extinct Granaria species form a monophyletic group.

Molecular data for Crenavolva species (Gastropoda, Ovulidae) reveals the synonymy of C.chiapponii.

During fieldwork in Indonesia and Malaysia, eight lots containing 33 specimens belonging to the genus Crenavolva (Ovulidae) were collected. Species were initially identified as Crenavolvaaureola, Crenavolvachiapponii, Crenavolvastriatula and Crenavolvatrailli, respectively. For Crenavolvachiapponii this is the second record. In contrast to the ecological data available from the original description of this species, it was found in shallow water on a gorgonian host coral, i.e. Acanthogorgia sp. A molecular analysis based on COI and 16S mtDNA markers, including sequence data obtained from GenBank, showed that Crenavolvachiapponii should be considered a junior synonym of Crenavolvaaureola and that previously identified ovulid specimens are probably misidentified.

A molecular and morphological exploration of the generic boundaries in the family Melithaeidae (Coelenterata: Octocorallia) and its taxonomic consequences.

The validity of the currently recognized melithaeid genera (Acabaria, Clathraria, Melithaea, Mopsella, Wrightella) with the exception of the recently added genus Asperaxis, has puzzled scientists for almost a century. Diagnostic morphological characters are often missing or are obscured by the variation in sclerite forms. Consequently, species are difficult to assign to genera. In this study the current genera and their taxonomic positions are reviewed and reassessed based on material collected from the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and Indian Ocean as far south as South Africa. Molecular data were obtained for four different loci, both mitochondrial (COI, mtMutS, ND6) and nuclear (28S rDNA). Combining the molecular and morphological data revealed that all former genera, except for the monotypic genus Asperaxis and the genus Wrightella are paraphyletic. Molecular data for the two subfamilies (Asperaxinae and Melithaeinae) within the Melithaeidae, in comparison with the outgroup, indicated that the family is also paraphyletic. Furthermore we observed that species did not cluster according to their present morphological classification but instead clustered according to a biogeographical pattern. Species from the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Central Pacific, respectively, grouped into well supported clades. Consequently, we did not find morphological- or phylogenetic support to maintain the generic names Acabaria, Clathraria, Mopsella and Wrightella. Therefore these names are synonymised with the oldest available generic name, Melithaea. As a result, five secondary homonyms originated; these junior homonyms are herein renamed, viz. Melithaea hendersoni nom. nov, Melithaea mcqueeni nom. nov., Melithaea shanni nom. nov., Melithaea thorpeae nom. nov., and Melithaea wrighti nom. nov. Additionally, neotypes are selected for Melithaea ochracea to stabilize the genus Melithaea, and for Acabaria rubra.

Tracing glacial refugia of Triturus newts based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and species distribution modeling.

INTRODUCTION: The major climatic oscillations during the Quaternary Ice Age heavily influenced the distribution of species and left their mark on intraspecific genetic diversity. Past range shifts can be reconstructed with the aid of species distribution modeling and phylogeographical analyses. We test the responses of the different members of the genus Triturus (i.e. the marbled and crested newts) as the climate shifted from the previous glacial period (the Last Glacial Maximum, ~21 Ka) to the current interglacial. RESULTS: We present the results of a dense mitochondrial DNA phylogeography (visualizing genetic diversity within and divergence among populations) and species distribution modeling (using two different climate simulations) for the nine Triturus species on composite maps. CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of species distribution modeling and mitochondrial phylogeography provides insight in the glacial contraction and postglacial expansion of Triturus. The combined use of the two independent techniques yields a more complete understanding of the historical biogeography of Triturus than both approaches would on their own. Triturus newts generally conform to the 'southern richness and northern purity' paradigm, but we also find more intricate patterns, such as the absence of genetic variation and suitable area at the Last Glacial Maximum (T. dobrogicus), an 'extra-Mediterranean' refugium in the Carpathian Basin (T. cristatus), and areas where species displaced one another postglacially (e.g. T. macedonicus and western T. karelinii). We provide a biogeographical scenario for Triturus, showing the positions of glacial refugia, the regions that were postglacially colonized and the areas where species displaced one another as they shifted their ranges.

Caught in speciation? A new host for Conchodytes meleagrinae Peters, 1852 (Decapoda, Caridea, Palaemonidae).

During fieldwork in 2009 at Ternate, Indonesia, a pair of a pontoniine shrimp species belonging to the genus Conchodytes was collected from a bivalve mollusk of the genus Spondylus. This constitutes the first record of a species of the genus Conchodytes associated with a spondylid host. The specimens can be distinguished from other known Conchodytes species based on both morphology and colour pattern. Its COI barcode however, strongly resembles those obtained from three specimens of C. meleagrinae and is nested in the C. meleagrinae clade of the reconstructed phylogeny. Based on morphology and colouration only the specimens associated with the Spondylus bivalve would have been described as a species new to science. The modest conflicting molecular data have lead the authors to fully describe and figure the Spondylus associated specimens and compare them with the Pinctada associated specimens. Based on the present information it is decided not to give the Spondylus associated specimens the status as a distinct species but regard them as host-related (colour)morph of Conchodytes meleagrinae.

Fish, fans and hydroids: host species of pygmy seahorses.

An overview of the octocoral and hydrozoan host species of pygmy seahorses is provided based on literature records and recently collected field data for Hippocampus bargibanti, Hippocampus denise and Hippocampus pontohi. Seven new associations are recognized and an overview of the so far documented host species is given. A detailed re-examination of octocoral type material and a review of the taxonomic history of the alcyonacean genera Annella (Subergorgiidae) and Muricella (Acanthogorgiidae) are included as baseline for future revisions. The host specificity and colour morphs of pygmy seahorses are discussed, as well as the reliability of (previous) identifications and conservation issues.