Original Article

Integrative species delimitation of Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828 in China (Gastropoda: Truncatelloidea: Assimineidae)

  • Wenliang Liu ,
  • Liu Tao ,
  • Jiyao Li ,
  • Junjing Lu ,
  • Xiaosong Li ,
  • Feijun Zhang
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  • 1School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

    2Marine Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center of Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan 316021, China

    3Zhoushan Workstation, Ningbo Ocean Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Zhoushan 316022, China

    4Zhoushan Marine Environment Monitoring and Forecasting Center, Zhoushan 316022, China

Online published: 2026-07-24

Abstract

The diversity of Assimineidae in China is poorly known. Populations historically identified as Assiminea violacea Heude, 1882 are reevaluated based on extensive material from the Changjiang Estuary and Zhoushan. Morphological examination of shells, radulae, and reproductive anatomy confirms that A. violacea is a junior synonym of Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828. Molecular analyses of a 557 bp COI fragment support this revision, with phylogenetic reconstructions revealing a well-supported monophyletic clade comprising both Chinese and European specimens. This study provides the first confirmed record of A. grayana in China and discusses its potential introduction via maritime transport. These findings resolve a long-standing taxonomic confusion and clarify the biogeographic history of the genus in the Northwest Pacific.

Cite this article

Wenliang Liu , Liu Tao , Jiyao Li , Junjing Lu , Xiaosong Li , Feijun Zhang . Integrative species delimitation of Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828 in China (Gastropoda: Truncatelloidea: Assimineidae)[J]. Zoological Systematics, 2026 , 51(3) : 215 -225 . DOI: 10.11865/zs.2026304

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