Meeting Abstract
Molecular analysis of the nudibranch genus Flabellina in the temperate northeastern Pacific has revealed a more complex picture of the genus than previously recognized. The most commonly encountered species in the region, Flabellina trilineata, has been described as exhibiting a wide degree of variation in color throughout its geographic range. Molecular studies using the COI, 16S, and H3 markers indicate that F. trilineata is a complex of four species. Further complicating this picture, some specimens previously identified as F. trilineata are shown by molecular evidence to belong to the closely related species Flabellina cooperi. Additional specimens with a variety of color patterns have also been identified by molecular analysis as F. cooperi, suggesting that this species, traditionally considered rare, may actually be somewhat common but frequently misidentified.
