Nemertean systematics and phenetic classification: an example from a group of hoplonemerteans

The applicability of numerical methods to the taxonomy of the Phylum Nemertea is assessed for a group of hoplonemertean species. The classifications obtained from various cluster and ordination methods are evaluated with reference to their predictability, i.e. the number of character or character states that can be predicted about species A knowing that it belongs to class a.