A description of Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) from the Sea of Japan: a contribution of citizen science to marine zoology
- 1. Invertebrate Zoology Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1–12, Moscow 119234, Russia
- 2. N.A. Pertsov White Sea Biological Station, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1–12, Moscow 119234, Russia
- 3. Laboratory of Marine Invertebrate Morphology and Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninskiy Ave., Moscow 119071, Russia
Description
The nudibranch genus Dendronotus Alder et Hancock, 1845 is a common component of boreal and arctic ecosystems, which has recently received a considerable attention due to its high cryptic diversity. Here we describe a new species Dendronotus shpataki sp. nov. from the northwestern Sea of Japan using the material and observations provided by Andrey Shpatak, a local citizen, diver and underwater photographer. We studied morphological features of the new species including external morphology, coloration, jaw and radular morphology, and configuration of the reproductive system, as well as its ecological traits including possible diet preferences. We obtained DNA sequences and reconstructed the phylogeny by Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood approaches using four molecular markers (mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA, and nuclear histone H3 and 28S rRNA), and tested the boundaries between the species by calculating of the uncorrected p-distances and automatic species delimitation methods ABGD and GMYC. Our results show that D. shpataki sp. nov. differs both morphologically and genetically from all other Dendronotus species. The new species possibly represents a unique example of local endemism, being found in a single locality, while other local Dendronotus species demonstrate wide distribution in the North-West Pacific. We also report on a considerable wearing of the radular teeth during feeding, which is a remarkable case for the Dendronotus.
Files
Restricted
The record is publicly accessible, but files are restricted to users with access.
Request access
If you would like to request access to these files, please fill out the form below.
You need to satisfy these conditions in order for this request to be accepted:
You may request access to the files in this upload, provided that you fulfil the conditions below. The decision whether to grant/deny access is solely under the responsibility of the record owner.
You are currently not logged in. Do you have an account? Log in here