Cumanotoidea Odhner, 1907

Superfamily Cumanotoidea Odhner, 1907 , herein established

( Fig. 2; Tables 1–3)

Diagnosis: Aeolidacean superfamily with triserial radula. Body moderate to very narrow. Notal edge completely reduced. Ceratal rows regular or strongly reduced in paedomorphic representatives. Numerous cerata on elevations per row, or reduced. Rhinophores smooth or completely reduced along with oral tentacles in paedomorphic representatives. Anus acleioproctic in anterior/middle part of body. Anterior foot corners present or absent. Commonly no elaborate oral glands. Masticatory edges of jaws bear single to several rows of denticles, rarely smooth. Central teeth with non-compressed cusp. Lateral teeth usually denticulated, rarely smooth. Proximal receptaculum seminis. Clasping organ in female part of reproductive system with rosettes of hooks may be present. Vas deferens moderately long to short, prostate indistinct or distinct. Supplementary and accessory glands absent. Massive external permanent penial collar absent. Penis internal, narrow, armed or unarmed.

Families included: Cumanotidae Odhner, 1907 and Pseudovermidae Thiele, 1931 .

Remarks: Although the superfamily Cumanotoidea possesses a triserial radula and historically has been associated with Flabellinoidea , according to recent ( Martynov et al. 2020) and the present analyses ( Figs 1, 2), Cumanotoidea do not show a direct relationship to Flabellinoidea . An immediate difference of all Cumanotoidea from a majority of Flabellinoidea is the absence of a distinct notal edge, few regular, not significantly branched, ceratal rows, and the presence of a special clasping organ in the female part of the reproductive system. The present molecular phylogenetic analysis clearly indicates that there is not high support for Cumanotoidea , even if they were basal to Flabellinopsoidea and Flabellinoidea ( Fig. 1), but are more commonly placed as sister to both major superfamilies Aeolidioidea and Flabellinoidea ( Martynov et al. 2020), or to four superfamilies: Chudoidea superfam. nov., Aeolidioidea , Flabellinopsoidea , and Flabellinidae (present study Figs 1, 2). Also, considering the morphological disparity between Flabellinoidea and Cumanotoidea , separate superfamily status is highly justified for the latter. The sister-status of the profoundly paedomorphic, worm-shaped family, Pseudovermidae , to Cumanotidae has been shown in several separate molecular phylogenetic analyses ( Martynov et al. 2020, present study; Figs 1, 2), and the family Pseudovermidae is, therefore, included in the superfamily Cumanotoidea .