Document of bibliographic reference 396424

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

New Clavelina (Ascidiacea) species from the Bahamas

Abstract

The ascidian fauna of the Bahamas remains grossly understudied. Here, we examined specimens of the genus Clavelina collected from four Bahamian islands using morphological observations and genetic barcoding. Only three species of Clavelina have been previously reported in the Caribbean: C. picta, C. oblonga, and C. puertosecensis. Here, we report C. picta and three species new to science: C. rochae, C. pawliki, and C. erwinorum. C. picta and C. pawliki were found in the northernmost island surveyed, while C. rochae and C. erwinorum were particularly prevalent on the southeastern Bahamian islands. A complete review of genetic barcoding data and morphological characters of accepted Clavelina species was performed. The unique combination of in vivo coloration, morphological characteristics, haplotypes, and species distribution supported the establishment of three new species, significantly adding to the diversity of the genus Clavelina in the Caribbean.

Bibliographic citation

Turon, X.; López-Legentil, S. (2024). New Clavelina (Ascidiacea) species from the Bahamas. Taxonomy 4(3): 661-679. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy4030034

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true