The Doto coronata species complex, elongate Dotos, and molecular systematics of Dotidae

This molecular systematic study of the nudibranch family Dotidae encompasses 29 taxa\ud from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, and 30 from the Indo-Pacific. Mitochondrial\ud genes, 16S, COl, and the nuclear gene, H3, were sequenced for 50 individuals and\ud Bayesian and RAxML concatenated analyses were run. The Dotidae is monophyletic\ud where the elongate Indo- Pacific clade is sister to the larger clade with short- bodied\ud individuals. Eighteen of the Indo-Pacific taxa are distinct species based on their pairwise\ud distances. Individuals within the Doto coronata complex were incorporated since this\ud species represents the type for the genus Doto. Based on the molecular data, the South\ud African D. coronata is a distinct species. Four new species from the Indo-Pacific are\ud described along with the South African D. coronata. The true D. coronata is re-described\ud and a neotype is finally designated after 222 years since its original description