The Atlantic-Mediterranean genus Berghia Trinchese, 1877 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidiidae): taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis

Abstract

The aeolid genus Berghia was described by Trinchese in 1877, with Berghia coerulescens (Laurillard, 1832) as type species. The validity of Berghia has been questioned by some authors, who have considered it a junior synonym of Spurilla Bergh, 1864. The lack of consensus has caused confusion, blurring the differ- ences between these two genera. A recent molecular phylogeny of Aeolidiidae supported the mono- phyly of Berghia and helped to resolve the controversy about its relationship with Spurilla. Here, specimens of Berghia from the eastern and western Atlantic were examined from molecular and morpho- logical points of view. Berghia was found to be monophyletic, although its relationship with other aeoli- diids was not resolved. The morphological studies corroborate our molecular findings and differences in external coloration can distinguish closely related species. So far, Berghia comprises 10 species: B. coeru- lescens, B. verrucicornis, B. norvegica, B. benteva, B. creutzbergi, B. columbina, B. rissodominguezi, B. stephanieae, B. marcusi and a new species from Senegal, B. marinae. Downloaded from http://mollus.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universidad de Cadiz on December 16, 2014