Molecular analysis of Indo-Pacific Syllinae annelids with the description of five new species from the Philippine Islands

Morphological and molecular study of Syllinae (Annelida, Syllidae) from Bermuda, with the description of five new species

“…On the other hand, and in agreement with previous studies in the subfamily Syllinae [ 6 , 8 , 9 , 11 ] both Opisthosyllis and Syllis have been recovered as polyphyletic, since all their species cluster together in the same well-supported clade ( figure 16 ; electronic supplementary material, figure S1). The type species of Opisthosyllis , O. brunnea , together with the Californian O. leslieharrisae , appear separated from the rest of the species in the genus that comprises a well-supported clade in the BI analysis, although they also cluster with a Syllis species ( figure 16 ; electronic supplementary material, figure S1).…”

“…However, these subtle details are found in other Syllis species and, therefore, they cannot be considered synapomorphies of the group. Other characters, such as the morphology of reproductive stolons, have also been proposed as an important character to reorganize Syllis species [ 9 , 11 ], but, unfortunately, this feature has not been observed in our new described species. With the current lack of ecological or developmental information for most Syllis species, and the fact that traditional diagnostic characters are evolutionarily labile and may not accurately reflect evolutionary histories, it would be worth considering to reorganize this complicated genus according to molecular characters, as it has been proposed in other marine invertebrates, including annelids [ 56 – 58 ].…”

“…The family is currently divided into five subfamilies, of which Syllinae Grube, 1850 is the largest and most taxonomically complicated due to the lack of morphological synapomorphies for most of its genera [7]. Some of the most challenging genera within Syllinae include Syllis, that represents the type genus, and the closely related Opisthosyllis, both of which have been shown to be non-monophyletic in the most recent phylogenetic analyses [8][9][10][11]. Syllis and Opisthosyllis species have large bodies and conspicuous colorations, long and articulated appendages, and a huge variability in the morphology of their chaetae, a character that has been traditionally considered extremely important to differentiate species.…”