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Abstract
Conoidean gastropods of the genera Kermia, Oliver, Citation1915 and Pseudodaphnella Boettger, Citation1895 (Raphitomidae) are common in shallow-water habitats of the tropical Indo-Pacific. They form a distinct morphologically homogeneous complex, easily recognizable by sculpture and colour pattern, encompassing around 80 described species. Examination of a vast material accumulated during recent expeditions in various regions of the Indo-Pacific revealed a number of undescribed species of this complex. Our material included 32 morphospecies available for molecular phylogenetic study; phylogenetic reconstruction based on the COI gene confirmed the species hypotheses based on morphological characters. A total of 18 terminal taxa were attributed to known species and 14 were identified as new species. Of these, 12 species, for which sufficient material was available, are described. Phylogenetic analysis indicated close relationships of the genera Kermia and Pseudodaphnella with members of some other conoidean genera (specifically Exomilus Hedley, Citation1918, Paramontana Laseron, Citation1954 and Thetidos Hedley, Citation1899) and taxonomic implications of the data obtained are discussed. To test the taxonomic value of protoconch and review its wide use in classification of Conoidea, the evolution of the protoconch morphology was reconstructed using a phylogenetic tree. It has revealed that protoconchs of different types may appear in closely related species, sometimes hardly distinguishable by teleoconch morphology. A switch from planctotrophic to non-planctotrophic mode of development occurred at least four times in the evolutionary history of the Kermia–Pseudodaphnella complex, indicating high developmental plasticity of the group. Its role in radiation of the Kermia–Pseudodaphnella complex and applications for use of protoconch morphology in the classification of Conoidea are discussed.
Acknowledgements
Key material for molecular studies in this paper originates from several expeditions to the Philippines and Vanuatu, funded by a consortium of agencies, including the Total Foundation, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Research (BFAR) and the Niarchos Foundation; Material was also collected in Madagascar during the expedition ATIMO VATAE funded by the Total Foundation, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and conducted by MNHN and Pro–Natura International (PNI) as part of their ‘Our Planet Reviewed’ programme. We are thankful to the MNHN team, Philippe Bouchet, Virginie Héros, Philippe Maestrati, Pierre Lozouet, Barbara Buge and Magalie Castelin and also Ellen Strong, Yuri Kantor and Laurent Charles for their role in sampling during these expeditions. We are grateful to Andreia Salvador (NHMUK), Paul Callomon (ANSP) and Peter Stahlschmidt for sending photos of type specimens. Photos of types deposited in NHMUK are courtesy of Harry Taylor, photographic unit of NHMUK; photos of AMS types are copyrighted by Alison Miller and Australian Museum. Our special thanks to Philippe Bouchet, Virginie Héros, Philippe Maestrati and Barbara Buge (MNHN) for access to MNHN collections and hospitality as the present study was accomplished during a visiting curatorship of the first author in MNHN. We are thankful to Bruce Marshall for the job he has done, correcting language in the manuscript and his remarks to the text. This work was supported by the ‘Service de Systématique Moléculaire’ (UMS 2700 CNRS–MNHN) and by grants from the Russian Foundation of Basic Researches (RFBR–11–04–01284–a).
Associate Editor: Peter Hayward