Bizarre Morphology Obscures Real Affiliation: An Integrative Study of Enigmatic Cephalaspid Philine denticulata from Arctic Waters Reveals Its Unique Phylogenetic Position

• Published in: Diversity
• Main Authors: Elena Chaban, Irina Ekimova, Pavel Lubin, Ekaterina Nikitenko, Dimitry Schepetov
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2023
• Subjects: Philinidae; Aglajidae; Philinissima gen. nov.; Gastropoda; Heterobranchia; morphology; taxonomy; ecology; phylogeny; Barents Sea; White Sea; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030395

The biodiversity of Cephalaspidea (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) is poorly studied, and novel findings often lead to revisions at different taxonomic levels. The family Philinidae has a distinct set of defining characters in the shell, copulatory apparatus, and gizzard morphology, but several species, considered part of the family, deviate from it significantly. Philine denticulata (J. Adams, 1800) was considered to be a Philinidae despite the species morphology not fitting well with the family diagnosis. This species has an oval cylindrical external shell, jaws, and a gizzard lined with a chitinous layer with three thickened ridges. We studied Philine denticulata morphology on samples from the White and Barents Seas using the light and scanning electron microscopy methods in addition to computer microtomography. We also reconstructed its phylogenetic position using COI, 16S, 28S, and H3 genetic markers. Our integrative analysis revealed close relationships of this species to the family Aglajidae. Thus, we describe a new genus Philinissima gen. nov., including a single species Philinissima denticulata (J. Adams, 1800) comb. nov. which is the first aglajid registered from the Arctic waters. Our findings highlight possible problems in the Aglajidae taxonomical composition and an overall need for a dedicated integrative revision of the Cephalaspidea.