New species in our sea
Berthella perforata
According to Ghanimi et al. (2020) Berthella plumula is considered a complex of species, which have an extensive geographical range in the eastern Atlantic, from Norway to the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean Sea. However, we find morphological differences between Mediterranean and Atlantic specimens, and phylogenetic and species delimitation analyzes confirm two different groups, brothers among themselves. Ghanimi et al. (2020) have determined that the Atlantic morphotype is B.plumula and the Mediterranean morphotype is B.perforata. The main difference is in the presence of white spots in the specimens of B.perforata and the lack of these in the specimens of B.plumula. In Catalonia we find B.perforata.
B. plumula B. perforata
References:
Ghanimi, H., Schrödl, M., Goddard, J. H. R., Ballesteros, M., Gosliner, T. M., Buske, Y., & Valdés, Á. (2020). Stargazing under the sea: molecular and morphological data reveal a constellation of species in the Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826) species complex (Mollusca, Heterobranchia, Pleurobranchidae). Marine Biodiversity, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-019-01027-w
Dondice trainitoi
Furfaroi Mariottini (2020) describes a new species of the genus Dondice in the Mediterranean Sea, differentiating it both morphologically and genetically from the species Dondice banyulensis also present in our sea. This new species, found in Italy, has been called D.trainitoi dedicated to Edigio Trainito, is smaller than D.banyulensis and has black spots on the "cheeks", unlike D.banyulensis which has oranges. D.trainitoi also has a characteristic iridescent light blue central band that goes from the tail to the head where it forks into two lines that pass through the middle of the oral tentacles, while D.banyulensis the central line goes from the anterior limit of the oral tentacles to the end of the tail, in addition, it presents a lateral white line of the oral tentacles until the tail. Checking the photographic records of the GROC we found no specimen of D.trainitoi, but let's be alert for the new species!
D. trainitoi D. banyulensis
References:
Furfaro, G., &Mariottini, P. (2020). A new Dondice Marcus Er. 1958 (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) from the Mediterranean Sea reveals interesting insights in to the phylogenetic history of a group of Facelinidae taxa. 4731(1), 1–22.http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4731.1.1
Elysia rubeni
A recent study (Martin-Hervás et al., 2020) describes a new species of the genus Elysia located off the coasts of Italy, Crete and Malta. They call it E.rubeni and it differs mainly by having white rhinophores with a purple band on the tip, the species most similar to our shores, and that could lead to confusion would be E.translucens, but in this species, we find the rhinophores totally greens. Reviewing the GROC records we did not find any specimens either, but it seems that it lives in shallow communities, on the alga Flabellia petiolata, like Elysia viridis, so watch out!
E. rubeni E. translucens
References:
Martín-Hervás, M. R., Carmona, L., Jensen, K. R., Licchelli, C., Vitale, F., & Cervera, J. L. (2019). Description of a new pseudocryptic species of Elysia Risso, 1818 (Heterobranchia, Sacoglossa) in the Mediterranean Sea. Bulletin of Marine Science.https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2018.0087
Felimida luteopunctata
The recent study of GROC by Moles i Riesgo (2019) concludes that the species Felimida rodomaculata is the same species as F.luteopunctata becoming a synonym for it. The presence of yellow spots and lilac body could confuse it with F.luteorosea, but F. rodomaculata has them more irregular apart from also presenting the characteristic yellow dot of F.luteopunctata. The current distribution of F.luteopunctata comprises the south of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and the northeast of the African coast.
F. luteorosea F. luteopunctata F. rodomaculatasyn. nov.
References:
Moles, J., & Riesgo, A. (2019). A junior freckled nudibranch: chromatic variability in Felimida species from the Eastern Atlantic. Spixiana, 42(2), 193–202.
Runcina marcosi
Araujo et al. (2019) describe the chromatic variation of the species Runcina brenkoae as well as the presence of a species complex within it. Hence the description of two new species R.marcosi and R.lusitanica, species that before the study were included in the chromatic variety of the species R.brenkoae. The difference is in a concentration of white dots forming a necklace in R.marcosi and a smaller size than R.lusitanica. These two differ from R.brenkoae in having a unipinnate and a bipinnate gill instead of the two unipinnate gills. The distribution of R.marcosi is restricted in the south of the Iberian Peninsula to France (being mentioned in Mataró) and that of R.lusitanica is currently found only on the southern coast of Portugal.
R. marcosi R. lusitanica
References:
Araujo, A. K., Pola, M., Malaquias, M. A. E., & Cervera, J. L. (2019). To be or not to be? What molecules say about Runcina brenkoaeThompson, 1980 (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Runcinida). Scientia Marina, 83(3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.04907.07A
Trinchesia cuanensis i Trinchesia morrowae
Korshunova et al (2019) describe new species of the genus Trinchesia in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Specifically, the species we used to know as Trinchesia caerulea has been separated into 3 different species. The morphotype corresponding to T. caerulea corresponds to individuals with a cyan coloration, without a white band between the rhinophores, and with 2 colorations in the cerates. The most abundant morphotype in the Mediterranean, with a well-marked white band between the rhinophores, rhinophores and oral tentacles with completely yellow tips and 3 colors on the waxes (yellow-blue-yellow) becomes a new species, called Trinchesia morrowae. The third morphotype, scarcer and observed on our coasts during winter and spring only, has a diffuse white line between the rhinophores, with a marked red spot in the eye area and in the middle of the back, corresponding to Trinchesia cuanensis. At the genetic level, the species are clearly differentiated, adding a fourth new species for the genus Trinchesia only present in the Black Sea, Trichesia diljuvia.
T. caerulea T. cuanensis T. morrowae
References:
Korshunova, T.; Picton, B.; Furfaro, G.; Mariottini, P.; Pontes, M.; Prkić, J.; Fletcher, K.; Malmberg, K.; Lundin, K.; Martynov, A. (2019). Multilevel fine-scale diversity challenges the 'cryptic species' concept. Scientific Reports. 9(1). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42297-5
New genus Amphorina and new species
Korshunova et al (2020) have conducted a recent very comprehensive morphological and genetic study of the species Eubranchus farrani, E.pallidus and E.linensis in order to check whether the variability of colors shown by these species is well attributed or, conversely, it turns out that there are cryptic species.
The results of the study have concluded that these species belong to the genus Amphorina and have classified the different morphotypes into 5 species. Three of which were already known, now called Amphorina farrani (present in our waters), Amphorina linensis (until now described as Trinchesia cf tricolor in the Mediterranean) and Amphorina pallida (from the Atlantic). They have also described 2 new species, Amphorina viriola (present in the Atlantic) and Amphorina andra (present in our waters).
As for Amphorina farrani and A.andra, they are distinguished by the fact that A.farrani has only the tips of the waxes yellow, orange or white but without other colored marks and the rhinophores and oral tentacles with the same tips. While A.andra presents a very wide morphotypic variety, with individuals completely orange, or white, but with the exception of these morphotypes, all present spots of different color on the cerata and rhinophores and oral tentacles orange or yellow on the tip followed by an intense white gradient.
A.farrani A.andra A.linensis
References:
Korshunova, T.; Malmberg, K.; Prkić, J.; Petani, A.; Fletcher, K.; Lundin, K.; Martynov, A. (2020). Fine-scale species delimitation: speciation in process and periodic patterns in nudibranch diversity. ZooKeys. 917: 15-50. doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.917.47444