[OANNES Foro] The California Academy of Sciences reorganized the sea slugs of the genus Hypselodoris

[Mario Cabrejos]

17 new brilliantly colored species of sea slugs described

by  <https://news.mongabay.com/by/shreya-dasgupta/> Shreya Dasgupta 

1 November 2018

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/17-new-brilliantly-colored-species-of-sea-
slugs-described/

>From lavender to orange, pink to yellow polka dots - researchers have just
described 17 stunning new species of sea slugs that live among coral reefs
in the Indo-Pacific region.

All the species belong to the genus Hypselodoris, a group of colorful sea
slugs that make for striking photo models. In a recent
<https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/
zly048/5098244?guestAccessKey=5fd02506-1dcc-4169-aec3-f1cbc4e3066c#121310377
> study, researchers from the California Academy of Sciences (CAS)
reorganized the genus Hypselodoris, adding new-to-science species to the
group and revealing secrets of the evolution of their brilliant color
patterns.

Discovery of the new species is a great feeling, said Terrence Gosliner,
senior curator at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the CAS.
"Several species [of Hypselodoris] had not been studied previously from a
genetic perspective and we had reason to believe that we had discovered a
bunch of new species, based on their external appearance," he told Mongabay.

Among the new species are Hypselodoris confetti, a sea slug that looks like
it's covered in shreds of brightly colored paper; H. rositoi, named for its
distinctive rose-pink shade; and H. skyleri, a sea slug with white spots
that resemble stars in the sky and that's named after co-author Rebecca
Johnson's son, Skyler (Sky) Rodgers.

The reorganization of species within Hypselodoris using genetic tools also
helped the researchers gain an insight into why the sea slugs are so
colorful. "This is the first time we've had a family tree to test
longstanding hypotheses for how patterns evolve," Gosliner said.

The CAS team found, for instance, that a number of distant relatives have
independently evolved the same color pattern - like H. iba and H. bullocki,
both lavender in color. The two species are, however, not closely related.
"The more likely explanation for their similar appearance is that they
reside in the same geographic region where being purple is advantageous for
avoiding predators either as camouflage or warning of distastefulness,"
Johnson, citizen science lead at the CAS, said in a
<https://www.calacademy.org/press/releases/scientists-from-the-california-ac
ademy-of-sciences-describe-17-new-species-of> statement.

Surprisingly, H. iba itself has two different forms of individuals: one
lavender with a white stripe, and the other cream with a lavender stripe and
orange spots. The two forms have been photographed mating and are nearly
genetically identical.

"We are not sure of why this is the case but suspect that predators cannot
recognize the difference between the two color morphs," Gosliner said. Such
differently colored individuals have not been seen in other Hypselodoris
species.

So far, none of the newly described species seem to be at any immediate risk
of extinction.

"But with climate change impacts, this could change fairly quickly if coral
reefs continue to disappear," Gosliner said. Moreover, many more species of
sea slugs are yet to be discovered.

"Even with these discoveries, still less than 10 percent of the species
inhabiting the planet have been recognized. There is still much fundamental
work to do," Gosliner added.

 
<https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/17-new-brilliantly-colored-species-of-sea
-slugs-described/all-17-new-species-together-two-images-of-h-iba/>
https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/10/31102210/All-1
7-new-species-together-two-images-of-H.-iba.jpgAll 17 new species of sea
slugs. Image courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences.

Citation:

Epstein, H. E., Hallas, J. M., Johnson, R. F., Lopez, A., & Gosliner, T. M.
(2018). Reading between the lines: Revealing cryptic species diversity and
colour patterns in Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia:
Chromodorididae).
<https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/
zly048/5098244?guestAccessKey=5fd02506-1dcc-4169-aec3-f1cbc4e3066c#121310377
> Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

 



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