Color ontogeny and variations associated with discrete morphological differences may generate taxonomical challenges, which requires multiple data types and in-depth historical review. The nudibranch known as the Spanish dancer, Hexabranchus sanguineus, is a classic example with over 200 years of taxonomic confusion. Currently, H. sanguineus is accepted by most authors as a single species from the Indo-Pacific Ocean with Hexabranchus morsomus as a valid species from the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, despite these species being highly studied, their systematic status remains debatable. Over 30 synonyms have been proposed for H. sanguineus and even a distinct genus for H. morsomus. Here we provide, for the first time, a comprehensive review of all proposed names and an integrative taxonomic revision of the genus including morphological and molecular data. Our results reveal that H. sanguineus is a complex of five species: four previously described and an undescribed species, one of the largest nudibranchs in the world: Hexabranchus giganteus sp. nov. The genus Caribranchus is considered a junior synonym of Hexabranchus Ehrenberg, 1828 and the ontogeny of color pattern is discussed.
A species of the hermit crab genus Catapaguroides recently discovered in a sand-dwelling Halimeda community on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands, prompted a reexamination of the holotype of Catapaguroides setosus (Edmondson, 1951), described from off the south coast of O'ahu. The latter species, currently considered a junior subjective synonym of Catapaguroides fragilis (Melin), is herein adjudged neither synonymous with C. fragilis nor conspecific with the second Hawaiian species. Catapaguroides setosus is reinstated with full specific rank, rediagnosed, and illustrated. The second species, Catapaguroides hooveri McLaughlin & Pittman, n. sp., is described and illustrated.
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