title: Hyper-cryptic marine meiofauna: species complexes in Nemertodermatida.
abstract: Nemertodermatida are microscopically small, benthic marine worms. Specimens of two nominal species, Sterreria psammicola and Nemertinoides elongatus from 33 locations worldwide were sequenced for three molecular markers. Species delimitation and validation was done using gene trees, haplotype networks and multilocus Bayesian analysis. We found 20 supported species of which nine: Nemertinoides glandulosum n.sp., N. wolfgangi n.sp., Sterreria boucheti n.sp., S. lundini n.sp., S. martindalei n.sp., S. monolithes n.sp., S. papuensis n.sp., S. variabilis n.sp. and S. ylvae n.sp., are described including nucleotide-based diagnoses. The distribution patterns indicate transoceanic dispersal in some of the species. Sympatric species were found in many cases. The high level of cryptic diversity in this meiofauna group implies that marine diversity may be higher than previously estimated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meyer-Wachsmuth
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, Università di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Curini Galletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jondelius
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D044822:Biodiversity; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D015203:Reproducibility of Results