Gemmula

Abstract: Accelerating the description of biodiversity is a major challenge as extinction rates increase. Integrative taxonomy combining molecular, morphological, ecological and geographical data is seen as the best route to reliably identify species. Classic molluscan taxonomic methodology proposes primary species hypotheses (PSHs) based on shell morphology. However, in hyperdiverse groups, such as the molluscan family Turridae, where most of the species remain unknown and for which homoplasy and plasticity of morphological characters is common, shell-based PSHs can be arduous. A four-pronged approach was employed to generate robust species hypotheses of a 1000 specimen SouthWest Pacific Turridae data set in which: (i) analysis of COI DNA Barcode gene is coupled with (ii) species delimitation tools GMYC (General Mixed Yule Coalescence Method) and ABGD (Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery) to propose PSHs that are then (iii) visualized using Klee diagrams and (iv) evaluated with additional evidence, such as nuclear gene rRNA 28S, morphological characters, geographical and bathymetrical distribution to determine conclusive secondary species hypotheses (SSHs). The integrative taxonomy approach applied identified 87 Turridae species, more than doubling the amount previously known in the Gemmula genus. In contrast to a predominantly shellbased morphological approach, which over the last 30 years proposed only 13 new species names for the Turridae genus Gemmula, the integrative approach described here identified 27 novel species hypotheses not linked to available species names in the literature. The formalized strategy applied here outlines an effective and reproducible protocol for large-scale species delimitation of hyperdiverse groups.

Abstract: Ctenotus is the largest and most diverse genus of skinks in Australia with at least 97 described species. We generated largemitochondrial and nuclear DNA data sets for 70 individuals representing all available species in the C. labillardieri species-group to produce the first comprehensive phylogeny for this clade. The widespread C. labillardieri was sampled extensively toprovide the first detailed phylogeographic data set for a reptile in the southwestern Australian biodiversity hotspot. Wesupplemented our molecular data with a comprehensive morphological dataset for the entire group, and together these data areused to revise the group and describe a new species. The morphologically highly variable species C. labillardieri comprisesseven well-supported genetic clades that each occupy distinct geographic regions. The phylogeographic patterns observed inthis taxon are consistent with studies of frogs, plants and invertebrates, adding strength to emerging biogeographic hypothesesin this iconic region. The species C. catenifer, C. youngsoni, and C. gemmula are well supported, and despite limited samplingboth C. catenifer and C. gemmula show substantial genetic structure. The threatened C. lancelini from Lancelin Island and theadjacent mainland is the sister taxon to a new species from the Swan Coastal Plain, which we describe as C. ora sp. nov. Thisspecies is a habitat specialist, occurring primarily in sandy regions south of Perth that currently are under intense development. Ctenotus ora sp. nov. should be considered for conservation attention immediately.

Abstract: he biology, feeding ecology and phylogenetic relationships of marine snails in the family Turridae remain poorly understood. Here we report our study on four deep-water species in the genus Gemmula, a major group in this family. The four species G. speciosa (Reeve 1843), G. sogodensis (Olivera 2005), G. kieneri (Doumet 1940) and G. diomedea (Powell 1964) were collected at five different sites in the Philippines, and their pattern of distribution in the sites, their feeding behavior as well as their phylogenetic relationships with each other and with other members of the subfamily Turrinae were investigated. The radular morphology (of two Gemmula species) and potential prey (for one Gemmula species) were also examined. Actual feeding observations were also conducted for Gemmula speciosa and compared with two turrids from other genera. T All four Gemmula species showed strikingly different patterns of distribution; each species was found to be relatively much more abundant at one site but not at the other sites. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 16S sequences correlated with previously reported 12S sequences and revealed that the four species all belong to a well-supported Gemmula clade within the subfamily Turrinae; and that this clade appeared more closely related to the clades Xenuroturris, Turris and Lophiotoma than to the other clades in the subfamily (i.e.,Turridrupa, Unedogemmula and Polystira). Morphological analysis of the radula of both G. speciosa and G. sogodensis revealed that the radulae of the two species were similar but differed from the other turrids, Lophiotoma acuta and Unedogemmula bisaya, by the presence of central teeth, consistent with the separation of the Gemmula clade from the Lophiotoma and Unedogemmula clade. To identify the polychaete group that is targeted as prey by species of Gemmula, analysis of regurgitated food fragments was made; phylogenetic analysis of an mtCOI gene fragment that was PCR-amplified from the regurgitated tissue of one specimen (G. diomedea) indicated close affinity of the prey to the terebellid polychaete Amphitritides. Specimens of Gemmula speciosa, when challenged with the terebellid polychaete Loimia sp., were observed to attack the worm suggesting that Gemmula species feed on terebellid polychaetes. Lophiotoma acuta were also observed to feed on the same species of terebellid but were usually group-feeding in contrast to the solitary feeding of G. speciosa. Unedogemmula bisaya did not feed on the terebellid which also supports the separation of the Gemmula and Unedogemmula clade. The 16S-based clustering