The Systematics of the Aeolidacea (Nudibranchia: Mollusca) of the Hawaiian Islands, with Descriptions of Two New Species

Abstract

Nineteen species of aeolid nudibranchs are here recorded from the Hawaiian Islands. The natural history and distribution of each species is described. Morphological accounts of these taxa are provided and their systematic status is discussed. The status of an additional three species, previously recorded from the Hawaiian Islands but not encountered in this study, is reviewed. Based on the study of the Hawaiian aeolidacean nudibranch fauna, the systematics of the Facelinidae are reviewed. An examination of the zoogeographical affinities of the Hawaiian aeolid fauna suggests that many taxa have a typical Indo-West Pacific distribution. However, a significant portion of the fauna is substantially more widely distributed and appears to be circumtropical.