First Record of the Nudibranch Nembrotha cristata Bergh, 1877 from the Coastal Waters of Vietnam Based on Morphology and DNA Barcoding
摘要
The diversity of nudibranchs in Vietnam remains largely undocumented. In this study, morphological and molecular analyses are utilized to provide the first formal record of Nembrotha cristata in Vietnamese waters. Identified by its black body and prominent green mantle tubercles, N. cristata possesses five non-retractable, multipinnate gill branches. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close genetic relationship between N. cristata, N. mullineri, and N. milleri. These findings have expanded the inventory of nudibranch species within the region.