Morphological and molecular systematic review of Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865 (Annelida: Eunicidae) species from South Africa.

ABSTRACT: A vast polychaete fauna is hidden behind complexes of cryptic and pseudo-cryptic species, which has greatly hindered our understanding of species diversity in several regions worldwide. Among the eunicids, Marphysa sanguinea Montagu, 1813 is a typical example, recorded in three oceans and with various species considered its junior synonyms. In South Africa, specimens previously misidentified as M. sanguinea are now known as Marphysa elityeni Lewis & Karageorgopoulos, 2008. Of the six Marphysa Quatrefages, 1865a species recorded from the same region, three have their distributions restricted to South Africa while the others are considered to have worldwide distributions. Here, we evaluated the taxonomic status of the indigenous M. elityeni and investigated

SUBMITTER: Kara J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7585384 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature