Kingdom Animalia Phylum Mollusca Order Nudibranch | Class Gastropoda Rank Suborder | |
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Subclass Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura Similar Doridacea, Nudibranch, Doridoidea, Heterobranchia, Discodorididae | ||
The Euctenidiacea, common name dorid nudibranchs, are a taxonomic suborder of sea snails or slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the order Nudibranchia. Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) rejected the name Anthobranchia on the grounds that it also included Onchidium at the time of original publication.
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A morphological phylogenetic study, published in 2000, by Wägele & Willan showed that the subclade Gnathodoridacea (= Bathydoridoidea) and the subclade Doridacea (= Phanerobranchia + Cryptobranchia + Porostomata) each form a monophyletic group.
In a later study, published in 2002, A. Valdés concluded that the superfamilies Doridoidea and Phyllidioidea (called by him Cryptobranchia + Porostomata) formed a clade. He expanded the usage of Cryptobranchia to encompass the whole subclade Doridacea. This move was not followed in the taxonomy of Bouchet and Rocroi.