Summary:The aeolid nudibranch Caloria elegans (Facelinidae) is quite common in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean and is easily recognized by the presence of a typical black spot at the apical portion of its cerata. Facelina quatrefagesi (Facelinidae) was long considered as a synonym of C. elegans until recently, when it was re-evaluated as a valid species based mainly on rhinophore morphology. In order to definitively assess the status of these aeolid taxa, we employed an integrative taxonomy approach using the nuclear H3 and the two mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S markers. The molecular analyses clearly showed that, although morphologically closely related to C. elegans, F. quatrefagesi is a valid species.Keywords: integrative taxonomy; molluscs; Facelinidae; systematics; phylogeny.Especies crípticas y simpátricas: el caso de Caloria elegans y Facelina quatrefagesi (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) Resumen: El nudibranquio aeolido Caloria elegans (Facelinidae) es común en el Mediterráneo y en el noreste Atlántico siendo fácilmente reconocido por la presencia de una típica mancha negra en la porción apical de los ceratos. Facelina quatrefagesi (Facelinidae) por mucho tiempo ha sido considerado como un sinónimo de C. elegans hasta hace poco cuando ha sido reconsiderada como especie válida basándose principalmente en la morfología de los rinóforos. Para asignar definitivamente el estado de estos taxones aeolidos, hemos utilizado un enfoque de taxonomía integrada, usando los marcadores moleculares H3 (nuclear), COI y 16S (mitocondriales). Los análisis moleculares han mostrado claramente que F. quatrefagesi, aunque morfológicamente sea muy parecido a C. elegans, es una especie válida.Palabras clave: taxonomía integrada; moluscos; Facelinidae; sistemática; filogenia.Citation/Como citar este artículo: Furfaro G., Mariottini P., Modica M.V., Trainito E., Doneddu M., Oliverio M. 2016. Sympatric sibling species: the case of Caloria elegans and Facelina quatrefagesi (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia). Sci. Mar. 80(4): 511-520. doi: http://dx

We report the discovery of the Indo-Pacific sacoglossan Elysia nealae Ostergaard, 1955 from northeastern Sardinia (Central Tyrrhenian Sea). This is the first record of this species in the western Mediterranean Sea and only the second for the whole of the Mediterranean Sea following a report from Cape Epanomi, Greece. We discuss the identification of this species as well as the expansion of its geographical range. Data on the ecology and behavior of E. nealae leads us to hypothesize that the increase in the Mediterranean’s water temperature due to climate change has favored this non-native species and contributed to its expanded distribution.

Monitoring the spread of non-indigenous species is fundamental to study global warming effects on marine biodiversity. A valuable tool is represented by the continuous updating of the geographic range expansion of non-indigenous species. Lamprohaminoea ovalis is a Lessepsian mollusc initially recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 2001. This paper reports its range expansion over the last 20 years related to water warming. The first record of Lamprohaminoea ovalis from the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) is also reported. Two individuals (about 10 mm length) were observed on a sub-vertical rocky bottom at 26 m depth displaying potential trailing behaviour. This recent finding extends the currently known distributional range of Lamprohaminoea ovalis, representing the northernmost occurrence of this non-indigenous species in the western Mediterranean Sea.

Three individuals of a nudibranch belonging to the genus Dermatobranchus (Arminidae) were found at a depth of 3 meters, in a bottom with sand and gravel, during night SCUBA diving activity in Porto Pirrone, Leporano, Taranto, Apulia, Italy. The external morphology and coloration of these Mediterranean individuals clearly resemble those of D. rubidus (Gould, 1852), a species known only from the central and western Pacific Ocean. This is the first record of the genus Dermatobranchus van Hasselt, 1824 for the Mediterranean Sea.

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