New Dendronotus Nudibranchs Uncovered by Citizen Scientists and Russian Researchers
Researchers from the Zoological Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University, together with specialists from the Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and international colleagues, announced the discovery of new taxa in the nudibranch genus Dendronotus. The findings, which emerged from fieldwork in Norway and the United Kingdom, highlight the important role of civilian scientists in modern taxonomy. The report was published in Variation, a scientific journal dedicated to documenting biodiversity and evolutionary relationships.
The team described two distinct taxa within the nudibranchs: a species named Dendronotus keatleyae and a subspecies named Dendronotus arcticus gartensis. Dendronotus keatleyae has been extensively documented in Norway and Great Britain, while Dendronotus arcticus gartensis is described from Norway. Specimens reach a considerable size for nudibranchs, up to about 35 millimeters in length, and originate from the North Atlantic where taxonomic research has a long history dating back to the era of Carl Linnaeus. During scuba dives, civilian scientists observed these creatures moving among hydroids, which served as their food source. Although they resemble known Dendronotus forms at first glance, close morphological and color analyses revealed distinct structural differences that warranted taxonomic separation.
The divers communicated their observations to Russian investigators, who applied morphological measurements and molecular phylogenetic analyses to test relationships among the specimens. The collaborative effort—combining field observations with laboratory methods—led to the formal recognition of the new taxa.
The nomenclature honors contributors to citizen science: Dendronotus keatleyae is named for Libby Keatley, a British citizen scientist, while Dendronotus arcticus gartensis was proposed by Norwegian volunteers in reference to the Norwegian island near where the subspecies was found. This case demonstrates how non-professional scientists can contribute valuable data that advance understanding of marine biodiversity and species delineation.— Variation
In a separate line of inquiry, researchers from the National Institute of Physiological Sciences in Japan reported findings about weight loss linked to activating specific brain cells. The juxtaposition of these two topics underscores the breadth of contemporary biology, spanning marine taxonomy and neurophysiology, and the way cross-cultural scientific collaboration can accelerate discovery.