Meeting Abstract
Chromodorid nudibranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) are tropical sea slugs that exhibit diverse coloration, key bioindicators of climate change, and coveted by pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies for their chemical properties. Despite the growing attention, the evolutionary history and taxonomy of this group remains poorly documented, leading to underestimation of biodiversity and false generalizations about biomedical potential. Advances in molecular systematics have allowed for new insights and higher taxonomic resolution, leading to a significant increase in the discovery of cryptic species within previously defined taxa across all Animalia. Nudibranchs in the genus Glossodoris exhibit a wide range of color patterns from aposematic coloration to camouflage, and are a model group for understanding cryptic diversity. In this study, 80 individuals comprising 38 species in 12 genera were used to build the most robust phylogenetic tree of Glossodoris and related genera using mitochondrial genes cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S, and nuclear 28S. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian Inference statistical analyses identified four cryptic species within Glossodoris, including three nested within Glossodoris cincta alone. The discovery of cryptic species within Glossodoris accentuates the likelihood that more species are hidden within previously defined taxa. Nudibranch biodiversity is likely much greater than currently estimated, and the discovery of cryptic species has profound implications for the evolution of color pattern and chemical defense sequestration as well as biomedical prospecting and conservation of biodiversity.
