TL;DR: The existence of multiple species-level clades in the Goniobranchus red-reticulate group suggests this is a group of closely related species, comprising at least five undescribed taxa.
Abstract: The taxonomy and diversity of chromodorid nudibranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) are relatively well-studied, although molecular analyses have only been applied to test few species-level groups. Within Chomodorididae, the genus Goniobranchus Pease, 1866 contains many different groups based on external colouration, including the red-reticulate group. Previously, most of the red-reticulate group has been considered as either a single variable species, identified as either Goniobranchus reticulatus Pease, 1866 or Goniobranchus tinctorius (Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828), or as a species complex. In this study, red-reticulate nudibranchs were collected from different locations spanning the Indo-Pacific. From these specimens, DNA data were derived, consisting of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequences. COI data were analysed using a distance-based species delimitation approach (ABGD), and the combined dataset (COI+16S rDNA) was analysed using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. The analyses identified five species-level clades, but none of the clades’ morphotypes matched exactly with the original descriptions of G. tinctorius or G. reticulatus. The non-reticulate, spotted species Goniobranchus splendidus (Angas, 1864) falls inside this complex. The existence of multiple species-level clades in the Goniobranchus red-reticulate group suggests this is a group of closely related species, comprising at least five undescribed taxa.
TL;DR: Three new species of sea slug heterobranchs are described in detail and illustrated, belonging to three different genera, and one western Pacific species is recorded for the first time in the Red Sea.
Abstract: This is the fifth publication describing species of sea slug heterobranchs, originally based on collections from the Red Sea by the author on four expeditions carried out in 1983 and 1990, with the addition of specimens subsequently collected by underwater photographers who were stimulated by the book "Sea Slugs of the Red Sea". So much material has been amassed that only the new species and new Red Sea records of chromodorids are described in this paper, with an appendix listing specimens of previously recorded species. Three new species are described in detail and illustrated, belonging to three different genera: Doriprismatica kyanomarginatasp. n., Glossodoris kahlbrockisp. n., and Goniobranchus pseudodecorussp. n. One western Pacific species is recorded for the first time in the Red Sea, Goniobranchus collingwoodi (Rudman, 1987). The nomenclature of Verconia sudanica is discussed and stabilised.