2017/02/15 by Nicolas Puillandre, Alexander Fedosov, Paul Zaharias +2 · 9 citations
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior #Mollusks and Parasites Studies #Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
paper · doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx012
openalex publication_date 2017/02/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Integrative taxonomy, and in particular species delimitation using molecular data, often leads to the discovery of new species. However, these new species are not systematically turned into formally described species, because, among other reasons, linking molecularly defined groups with available taxonomic names can be tricky. Here we delimit species in the genus Lophiotoma (Gastropoda, Conoidea, Turridae) using two unlinked genetic markers (the mitochondrial COI gene and the nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA gene), shell and radula characters, and geographic and bathymetric distribution. Several methods of species delimitation (ABGD, GMYC and PTP) resulted in several alternate species partitions, discussed using an integrative approach. We ended up with ten different species, among which seven have been unequivocally linked to available species names. We designate neotypes for two of them (L. acuta, L. jickelii). The three remaining species are described as new: L. semfala sp. nov., L. bratasusa sp. nov. and L. kina sp. nov. We discuss the difficulties encountered in locating type specimens and in linking them to recognized molecular species, in a context where the vast majority of mollusc types are empty, dried shells and consequently difficult to sequence.