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Giulia Furfaro

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (2): 725-738

    Giulia Furfaro & Egidio Trainito
    A new species from the Mediterranean Sea and North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean: Knoutsodonta pictoni n. sp. (Gastropoda Heterobranchia Nudibranchia)

    ABSTRACT
    Knoutsodonta pictoni n. sp. (Gastropoda Heterobranchia Nudibranchia) is described here based on morphological and molecular analyses of specimens from Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. Ecological notes on the egg development and new species distribution range are also presented. COI DNA barcoding was used to molecularly identify this species and to assess one sequence present in Genbank but for which identification was not provided. Furthermore, the intraspecific genetic divergence was explored for specimens belonging to different populations.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 067-078 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulia Furfaro & Paolo Mariottini
    Check-list of the Nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the biodiversityhot spot “Scoglio del Corallo” (Argentario promontory, Tuscany)

    ABSTRACT
    The Mediterranean nudibranch (Mollusca Gastropoda) fauna is part of complex communities belonging to the Mediterranean endemic “Coralligenous”. This important ecosystem shows a high species richness and functional diversity with assemblages of species tied together by major trophic and ecological relationships. A first check-list for the biodiversity hot spot “Scoglio del Corallo”, located along the coast of the Argentario promontory (Tuscany, Tyrrhenian Sea) is here reported.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 5 (2): 117-130 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulia Furfaro, Maria Vittoria Modica, Marco Oliverio, Juan Lucas Cervera & Paolo Mariottini
    Phenotypic diversity of Thuridilla hopei (Vérany, 1853) (Gastropoda Heterobranchia Sacoglossa). A DNA-barcoding approach
    Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5th-6th, 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy

    ABSTRACT
    The sacoglossan Thuridilla hopei (Vérany, 1853) shows highly diverse chromatic patterns. Based on the morphological examination of specimens from different Mediterranean localities, we have observed that in spite of this great variability in colours of T. hopei, two major chromatic morphotypes are related to bathymetry. Specimens from deeper water exhibit blue darker and more uniform patterns than individuals from shallower water, which show a more variable, dashed and spotted arrangement of light blue, yellow, orange, white and black pigmentation. A molecular genetic analysis using the mitochondrial COI and 16S rDNA markers has confirmed that all these extremely different chromatic morphotypes belong to a single specific entity, i.e. T. hopei, a sacoglossan with a wide distribution, from Macaronesia in the Atlantic, to the easternmost Mediterranean Sea.