The phylogenetic position of a new species of plakobranchus from west papua, Indonesia (Mollusca, opisthobranchia, sacoglossa)

Abstract

Plakobranchus papua Meyers-Muñoz & van der Velde, sp. n. from West Papua (Papua Barat province, Indonesia), is described based on its external morphology, colour pattern, internal anatomy, radula and reproductive system. In a molecular phylogenetic study specimens of this new species were compared with those of ten candidate taxa under the name Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824. DNA analyses of COI mtDNA showed a clear distinction between P. papua sp. n. and “P. ocellatus”. Plakobranchus papua, sp. n. also differed from all taxa that have been synonymised with P. ocellatus. The genus is in dire need of taxonomic revision, preferably based on an integrative analysis involving morphology and DNA of all known Plakobranchus varieties.