A phylogenetic analysis and systematic revision of the cryptobranch dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Anthobranchia)
Author
Valdés, Ángel
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2002
2002-12-31
136
4
535
636
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00039.x
journal article
5419
10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00039.x
8acc9095-eaff-47d7-b3da-91b6c2fb636e
0024-4082
4634200
GENUS
PELTODORIS
BERGH, 1880
Peltodoris
Bergh, 1880: 41
. Type species:
Peltodoris atromaculata
Bergh, 1880
, by subsequent designation by
O’Donoghue (1929)
.
Phialodoris
Bergh, 1889: 908
. Type species:
Phialodoris podotria
Bergh, 1889
, by monotypy,
syn. nov.
Montereina
MacFarland, 1905: 38
. Type species:
Montereina nobilis
MacFarland, 1905
, by original designation,
syn. nov.
Diagnosis
Dorsum covered with simple tubercles, stiffened by integumentary spicules, which occasionally protrude from the dorsal surface in an irregular fashion. Head with two conical oral tentacles. Anterior border of the foot grooved and notched. Labial armature smooth. Radula composed of simple, hamate teeth. The outermost teeth may be simple or denticulate. Reproductive system with a flattened, granular prostate, having two well differentiated regions. Penis and vagina devoid of hooks. Vestibular or accessory glands absent.
Remarks
Bergh (1880)
described the genus
Peltodoris
based on
Peltodoris atromaculata
Bergh, 1880
.
Peltodoris
is characterized by having the dorsum covered with tubercles, finger-like oral tentacles, tripinnate gill, labial armature without jaws, radula with simple, hamate teeth, large prostate and penis and vagina unarmed.
Bergh (1880)
distinguished
Peltodoris
from
Discodoris
on the basis of the harder body consistency and especially because of the lack of jaws.
Bergh (1889)
introduced the new genus
Phialodoris
based on
Phialodoris potrida
Bergh, 1889
from Amboine. He regarded
Phialodoris
as very close to
Discodoris
and
Peltodoris
, and only distinguishable from the latter by the peculiar shape of the penis. The penis of
Phialodoris potrida
is cylindrical with a cup-shaped apex armed with very small cones. Other characteristics of this species are similar to those of other members of
Peltodoris
, including the absence of jaws. There is no doubt that
Phialodoris
is a synonym of
Peltodoris
, and the peculiar penis shape is probably due to a preservation artifact or interspecific variation.
MacFarland (1905)
described the genus
Montereina
based on
Montereina nobilis
MacFarland, 1905
. The diagnostic features of this genus are firm body, tuberculate dorsum, long and conical tentacles, large gill, differentiated prostate and vagina and penis unarmed. No further species have been assigned to this genus, which was later synonymized with
Anisodoris
Bergh, 1898
by
MacFarland (1906)
. According to
Valdés & Gosliner (2001)
, the genus
Anisodoris
, which is a synonym of
Diaulula
Bergh, 1878
, is characterized by having the dorsum covered with caryophyllidia. The anatomy of
M. nobilis
is similar to that of species of
Peltodoris
, and both names are here regarded as synonyms. Other species from the Pacific coast of South America, such as
Doris variolata
d’Orbigny, 1837
, previously assigned to the genus
Anisodoris
, should also probably be transferred to
Peltodoris
.
Eliot (1906b)
pointed out that
Peltodoris
only differs from
Discodoris
in lacking a labial armature (jaws) and it should be regarded as a subgenus of
Discodoris
. Later,
Thompson (1975)
synonymized
Peltodoris
with
Discodoris
with no justification. In the following years a few authors followed Thompson’s authority and cited the
type
species of
Peltodoris
in the binomen
Discodoris atromaculata
(
Cattaneo-Vietti
et al
., 1990
)
. However, most authors maintained the usage of
Peltodoris
as a valid genus (
Castiello
et al
., 1980
;
Barletta, 1981
;
Schmekel & Portmann, 1982
;
Jonas, 1986
;
Perrone, 1992
;
Ávila, 1996
).
The phylogenetic analysis carried out in the present paper indicates that
Discodoris
and
Peltodoris
belong in two different clades (see below); therefore, the genus
Peltodoris
is retained as valid.