Description of a new genus of Chromodorididae with a taxonomic review of Neptunazurea kempfi (Ev. Marcus, 1971) comb. nov. (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia)

Abstract

Recent molecular phylogenies have shown the polyphyly of widespread genera within the Chromodorididae. In this context, the genus Felimare was resurrected to include Eastern Pacific, Atlantic, and Mediterranean species previously included in Hypselodoris, plus Mexichromis porterae (Cockerell, 1901) and Mexichromis kempfi (Ev. Marcus, 1971).

The somewhat controversial genus Felimare currently includes species with different external, radular, and jaw shapes as well as different reproductive morphologies, resulting in the absence of a clear diagnosis for the genus. Here, we advance the systematics of Chromodorididae with emphasis on a group of small blue species of Felimare from the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Based on consistent morphological and molecular characteristics we describe a new genus, Neptunazurea gen. nov., that includes small chromodorids with mole-paw shaped jaw rodlets, a small radula compared to the body length, and a short, undifferentiated prostate.

A taxonomic review of Neptunazurea kempfi (Ev. Marcus, 1971) comb. nov. is presented. Comprehensive morphological studies are crucial for the study of chromodoridids, enabling the thorough evaluation of diagnostic traits and the effective integration of morphological data with molecular information.