Event Category

PhD Appraisal

Date

April 30, 2026

Time

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location

UTM, DV 3129 & Zoom

Colour is a powerful form of communication that enables prey to camouflage, warn, or deter predators. In many species, visual signals are coupled with chemical defenses, displaying
aposematic colouration that advertises unpalatability.

Mimicry has evolved repeatedly within these systems and is well studied in terrestrial taxa, where the underlying drivers of colour pattern variation is increasingly understood. In contrast, mimetic systems in marine environments remain poorly characterized.

Nudibranchs are among the most diverse and polychromatic marine invertebrates, with extensive intra- and interspecific colour variation that often limits the use of colour patterns for species delimitation. Chromodorids, one of the most speciose nudibranch families (>300 species), offer strong potential for studying the evolution of colour and mimicry. This project focuses on the brightly coloured, polymorphic genus Felimida, in which multiple mimetic colour morphs occur across their range in the Atlantic and associated regions.

My research aims to resolve the Felimida mimicry complex
through three integrative approaches. By integrating phenotype, chemistry, and genomics, this work positions nudibranchs as a unique model system for understanding the evolution of warning colouration, mimicry, and chemical defense in marine systems.

Supervisor: Kara Layton

Committee chair: Tomomi Parins-Fukuchi