Jumping through hoops: Structural rearrangements and accelerated mutation rates on Dendrodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) mitogenomes rumble their evolution.

The systematics of the family Dendrodorididae, with only three valid genera, is a challenge for integrative taxonomists. Its members lack hard structures for morphological comparisons and their mitochondrial and nuclear markers provide contradictory phylogenetic signals, making phylogenetic reconstructions difficult. This molecular discordance has been hypothesized to be the result of nuclear pseudogenes or exogenous contamination.

Scaling the high latitudes: evolution, diversification, and dispersal of Coryphella nudibranchs across the Northern Hemisphere.

Nudibranch molluscs Coryphella are widely distributed and species-rich gastropod group lacking fossil record and displaying a complex distribution across both Southern and Northern hemispheres. In this paper we provide a detailed review of the morphology, ecology, and distribution of Coryphella, estimation of divergence times between species, an ancestral area reconstruction, and a population analysis of widely distributed trans-Arctic species Coryphella verrucosa to investigate the evolution, phylogeographic patterns and reconstruct possible historical routes of oceanic dispersal. The inclusion of a larger sample size and five molecular markers has revealed a complex evolutionary history of Coryphella, shaped by transgression, vicariance, and dietary shifts, and overall driven by the pervasive effect of glacial cycles.

Panmixia and local endemism: a revision of the species complex with a description of new species.

Species of the genus Eubranchus Forbes, 1838 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) are common faunistic elements of boreal benthic ecosystems, associated with hydroid communities. Recent studies have suggested that the widely distributed trans-Arctic E. rupium (Møller, 1842) constitutes a complex of at least three candidate species, but the detailed taxonomy of the complex remains unresolved.

The Complete Genome Sequences of 7 Species of Nudibranchs (Nudibranchia, Gastropoda).

We present genome sequences of 7 species of sea slugs from 4 genera. Illumina sequencing was performed on tissue from wild-collected museum specimens. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step.

A cryptic radiation of Caribbean sea slugs revealed by integrative analysis: '' (Sacoglossa: Caliphyllidae) is six distinct species.

Integrative studies have revealed cryptic radiations in several Caribbean lineages of heterobranch sea slugs, raising questions about the evolutionary mechanisms that promote speciation within the tropical Western Atlantic. Bergh, 1871 is a genus comprising 12 named species in the family Caliphyllidae that lack the photosynthetic ability of other sacoglossans but are noted for vibrant colours on the large cerata (dorsal leaf-like appendages) that characterize many species. Two species are widely reported from the Caribbean: (Trinchese, 1881) and Engel, 1927.

The genus Pupa Röding, 1798 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Acteonidae) in New Caledonia with notes on Recent species.

The study of newly collected, live specimens of Pupa (Acteonidae) from New Caledonia and French Polynesia, revealed the presence of six distinct species in this region, including an undescribed species. All these species are re-described and/or named using molecular and morphological evidence as well as a review of the literature and examination of photographs of the type material of described species. Moreover, a review of the literature and type material suggests the existence of six additional species from other geographic regions across the Indo-Pacific.

Seven new "cryptic" species of Discodorididae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) from New Caledonia.

The study of a well-preserved collection of discodorid nudibranchs collected in Koumac, New Caledonia, revealed the presence of seven species new to science belonging to the genera , , , and , although some of the generic assignments are tentative as the phylogeny of Discodorididae remains unresolved. Moreover, a poorly known species of originally described from New Caledonia is re-described and the presence of in New Caledonia is confirmed with molecular data. All the species described herein are highly cryptic on their food source and in the context of the present study the term "cryptic" is used to denote such species.

Phylogenomic resolution of the root of Panpulmonata, a hyperdiverse radiation of gastropods: new insight into the evolution of air breathing.

Transitions to terrestriality have been associated with major animal radiations including land snails and slugs in Stylommatophora (>20 000 described species), the most successful lineage of 'pulmonates' (a non-monophyletic assemblage of air-breathing gastropods). However, phylogenomic studies have failed to robustly resolve relationships among traditional pulmonates and affiliated marine lineages that comprise clade Panpulmonata (Mollusca, Gastropoda), especially two key taxa: Sacoglossa, a group including photosynthetic sea slugs, and Siphonarioidea, intertidal limpet-like snails with a non-contractile pneumostome (narrow opening to a vascularized pallial cavity). To clarify the evolutionary history of the panpulmonate radiation, we performed phylogenomic analyses on datasets of up to 1160 nuclear protein-coding genes for 110 gastropods, including 40 new transcriptomes for Sacoglossa and Siphonarioidea.

An integrative approach to the systematics of the species complex (Heterobranchia: Pleurobranchidae).

(W. H. Dall, 1900) is a widespread species of heterobranch sea slug distributed across the North Pacific Ocean, from Korea and Japan to the Galapagos Islands.

Functionally non-redundant paralogs spe-47 and spe-50 encode FB-MO associated proteins and interact with him-8.

The activation of C. elegans spermatids to crawling spermatozoa is affected by a number of genes including spe-47. Here, we investigate a paralog to spe-47: spe-50, which has a highly conserved sequence and expression, but which is not functionally redundant to spe-47.

The adrenergic-induced ERK3 pathway drives lipolysis and suppresses energy dissipation.

Obesity-induced diabetes affects >400 million people worldwide. Uncontrolled lipolysis (free fatty acid release from adipocytes) can contribute to diabetes and obesity. To identify future therapeutic avenues targeting this pathway, we performed a high-throughput screen and identified the extracellular-regulated kinase 3 (ERK3) as a hit.

Diet-driven ecological radiation and allopatric speciation result in high species diversity in a temperate-cold water marine genus Dendronotus (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia).

While the majority nudibranch clades are more species rich in the tropics, the genus Dendronotus is mainly represented in Arctic and boreal regions. This distribution pattern remains poorly understood. An integrative approach and novel data provided valuable insights into processes driving Dendronotus radiation and speciation.

Five new deep-sea species of nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Cladobranchia) from the Northeast Pacific.

Increased exploration of northeastern Pacific deep-sea habitats has revealed a diverse and often poorly-known invertebrate community, including a number of undescribed species of nudibranchs studied herein. We used morphology to distinguish several new species from their congeners, and generated data where possible for mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear markers (H3) to place them in a phylogenetic context. We described here Tritonia nigritigris sp.

Molecular and morphological systematics of Gray, 1847 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiomorpha).

Molecular and morphological data from newly collected specimens and a review of the literature and type material indicate that the widespread tropical sea hare is a species complex of five genetically distinct taxa. The name is retained for a widespread species in the Indo-Pacific tropics. is endemic to the eastern Pacific.

A biting commentary: Integrating tooth characters with molecular data doubles known species diversity in a lineage of sea slugs that consume "killer algae".

Predicting biotic resistance to highly invasive strains of "killer algae" (Caulerpa spp.) requires understanding the diversity and feeding preferences of native consumers, including sea slugs in family Oxynoidae. Past studies reported low algal host specificity for Oxynoe (6 spp.

Prey preference follows phylogeny: evolutionary dietary patterns within the marine gastropod group Cladobranchia (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Nudibranchia).

Background: The impact of predator-prey interactions on the evolution of many marine invertebrates is poorly understood. Since barriers to genetic exchange are less obvious in the marine realm than in terrestrial or freshwater systems, non-allopatric divergence may play a fundamental role in the generation of biodiversity. In this context, shifts between major prey types could constitute important factors explaining the biodiversity of marine taxa, particularly in groups with highly specialized diets.

Molecular and morphological systematics of Elysia Risso, 1818 (Heterobranchia: Sacoglossa) from the Caribbean region.

The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot for photosynthetic sea slugs, with about 27 described species in the genus Elysia Risso, 1818. However, many species are poorly known or have complex taxonomic histories, complicating assessments of regional biodiversity and impeding studies of plastid symbiosis, speciation, and larval biology. Using an integrative approach, we address the taxonomy and systematics of Caribbean elysiids by performing robust tests of existing species hypotheses, and describe six new species.

Philinidae, Laonidae and Philinorbidae (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea: Philinoidea) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean and the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean).

Based on morphological data a total of nine native species of Philinidae are recognized from the northeastern Pacific including the Bering Sea and the adjacent Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea). Four of them have been previously described: Philine ornatissima Yokoyama, 1927, Philine bakeri Dall, 1919, Philine polystrigma (Dall, 1908), and Philine hemphilli Dall, 1919. Five of them are new and described herein: Philine mcleani sp.

Shallow water heterobranch sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from the Región de Atacama, northern Chile.

The coast of northern Chile has been sparsely studied in regards to its invertebrate fauna, with just a few works reviewing the distribution of local mollusks. This work presents a survey of the shallow water heterobranch sea slugs currently occurring around the port of Caldera (27 °S), in the Región de Atacama, northern Chile. Eight species of sea slugs were found in this study: Aplysiopsis cf.

The Model Organism Hermissenda crassicornis (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) Is a Species Complex.

Hermissenda crassicornis is a model organism used in various fields of research including neurology, ecology, pharmacology, and toxicology. In order to investigate the systematics of this species and the presence of cryptic species in H. crassicornis, we conducted a comprehensive molecular and morphological analysis of this species covering its entire range across the North Pacific Ocean.

Species Selection Favors Dispersive Life Histories in Sea Slugs, but Higher Per-Offspring Investment Drives Shifts to Short-Lived Larvae.

For 40 years, paleontological studies of marine gastropods have suggested that species selection favors lineages with short-lived (lecithotrophic) larvae, which are less dispersive than long-lived (planktotrophic) larvae. Although lecithotrophs appeared to speciate more often and accumulate over time in some groups, lecithotrophy also increased extinction rates, and tests for state-dependent diversification were never performed. Molecular phylogenies of diverse groups instead suggested lecithotrophs accumulate without diversifying due to frequent, unidirectional character change.

Phylogeny of the family Aglajidae (Pilsbry, 1895) (Heterobranchia: Cephalaspidea) inferred from mtDNA and nDNA.

The family Aglajidae includes several species of benthic, carnivorous cephalaspidean sea slugs, which generally lack a radula, have an internal shell, a posterior shield with short to moderate caudal lobes, and sensory cilia present on the head. The present study reports a phylogenetic analysis of the Aglajidae based on the mitochondrial genes 16S and CO1 and the nuclear gene H3, including 160 specimens of 54 species, that confirms the monophyly of Aglajidae as well as most taxonomically established genera, with some exceptions. Although support values are low for some clades, the analysis recovered the following clades within the Aglajidae: Odontoglaja, Nakamigawaia, and Melanochlamys.

Slipping through the cracks: the taxonomic impediment conceals the origin and dispersal of Haminoea japonica, an invasive species with impacts to human health.

Haminoea japonica is a species of opisthobranch sea slug native to Japan and Korea. Non-native populations have spread unnoticed for decades due to difficulties in the taxonomy of Haminoea species. Haminoea japonica is associated with a schistosome parasite in San Francisco Bay, thus further spread could have consequence to human health and economies.

A tropical Atlantic species of Melibe Rang, 1829 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Tethyiidae).

A new species of Melibe is described based on two specimens collected in Florida. This new species is well differentiated morphologically and genetically from other species of Melibe studied to date. The four residue deletions in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 protein found in all previously sequenced tropical species of Melibe sequenced (and Melibe rosea) are also present in this new species.

Parallel changes in genital morphology delineate cryptic diversification of planktonic nudibranchs.

The relative roles of geographical and non-geographical barriers in the genesis of genetic isolation are highly debated in evolutionary biology, yet knowing how speciation occurs is essential to our understanding of biodiversity. In the open ocean, differentiating between the two is particularly difficult, because of the high levels of gene flow found in pelagic communities. Here, we use molecular phylogenetics to test the hypothesis that geography is the primary isolating mechanism in a clade of pelagic nudibranchs, Glaucinae.