Astonishing diversity revealed: an annotated and illustrated inventory of Nudipleura (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from Mozambique

Abstract

Hancock, 1845 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miller, 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Genus Baeolidia Bergh, 1888 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AbstractThis paper provides the first comprehensive annotated and illustrated inventory of Nudipleura from Mozambique. A total of 267 species are recorded, including 61 putative new species, documented over a period of seven years from several localities along the coast. At least 20 species need further investigation through molecular and taxomic analysis. Of the 186 confirmed described species, 118 are new records for the Mozambican fauna. Sampling was carried in tidal reefs and depths up to 60m on the subtropical and tropical coast of Mozambique. The most representative families were Chromodorididae (69 species), Discodorididae (30 species), Facelinidae (23 species) and Phyllididae (16 species). Nevertheless, a vast area of Mozambique remains unexplored, thus it is likely that the species documented here represent only a fraction of the true Nudipleura diversity of the country.

Red Sea Opisthobranchia 5: new species and new records of chromodorids from the Red Sea (Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia, Chromodorididae)

“… Chromodoris strigata Rudman, 1982: 229–231, figs 17E, 26, 27 (Queensland, Australia; Madagascar); Yonow 2008: 60, 177 (Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea); Tibiriçá et al 2017: 20, fig. 4C (Mozambique).…”

“…There are subsequent records from the northern Red Sea (Yonow 2008) although it was never collected by the author. Chromodoris strigata is a western Pacific species with one record in the Indian Ocean, from Mozambique (Tibiriçá et al 2017). The records from India as C. strigata (and C. colemani , Sreeraj et al 2012) are most likely C. cf. hamiltoni Rudman, 1977 as are the records from Mozambique of Chromodoris sp.…”

“…The records from India as C. strigata (and C. colemani , Sreeraj et al 2012) are most likely C. cf. hamiltoni Rudman, 1977 as are the records from Mozambique of Chromodoris sp. 1 (Tibiriçá et al 2017). …”

“…There are no literature records of this species from the Indian Ocean (e.g., Tibiriçá et al 2017, SeaSlugForum, http://seaslugs.free.fr/nudibranche/a_intro.htm). It remains to be seen if this is a one-off introduction or whether the species will establish itself in the either the Red Sea and/or the western Indian Ocean.…”

“…25 figs 10, 11 (Seychelles); Yonow 1994: 123 (Maldive Islands); Yonow 2008: 61, 206 (Red Sea); Tibiriçá et al 2017: 40, fig. 11G, H (Mozambique).…”