Phyllidiopsis Bergh, 1876

Papu, Adelfia, Bogdanov, AleXander, Bara, Robert, Kehraus, Stefan, König, Gabriele M., YonoW, Nathalie & Wägele, Heike, 2022, Phyllidiidae (Nudibranchia, Heterobranchia, Gastropoda): an integrative taxonomic approach including chemical analyses, Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 22 (3), pp. 585-629 : 601

Phyllidiopsis Bergh, 1876

The genus Phyllidiopsis is characterised by having fused oral tentacles that form an oblong structure. Thirty-one species are currently recognised (WoRMS Editorial Board, 2021). In our collection, seven species could be distinguished, six of which can be assigned to recognised species ( P. krempfi Pruvot-Fol, 1957 , P. burni Brunckhorst, 1993 , P. xishaensis ( Lin, 1983) , P. annae Brunckhorst, 1993 , P. sphingis Brunckhorst, 1993 , and P. shireenae Brunckhorst, 1990a ). Affiliation of one clade, Phyllidiopsis sp. a, remains uncertain. All molecular analyses result in two distinct clades within the genus, both supported by highest bootstrap values. One clade comprises species that exhibit a tubercular appearance ( P. krempfi , P. burni , P. sp. a), and the second clade comprises species with ridges or a smooth notum ( P. shireenae , P. xishaensis , P. annae , P. sphingis ). The sister-taxa relationship within this clade is also supported by highest bootstrap values. Lower bootstrap values (96) can only be seen with regards to the position of P. xishaensis , which is a sister taxon of the clade P. annae / P. sphingis (in the concatenated and 16S data sets) or forms a sister taxon to P. shireenae (in the CO1 data set). Interspecific variability was highest between P. krempfi and P. annae (Table S5). Chemical analyses revealed no genus-specific compounds. Interspecific variability was highest between P. krempfi and P. annae (Table S5).