Naisdoris aurornata, Paz-Sedano & Cobb & Gosliner & Pola, 2024

Paz-Sedano, Sofia, Cobb, Gary, Gosliner, Terrence M. & Pola, Marta, 2024, Filling gaps in the knowledge of Goniodorididae taxa (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) with description of seven new species, Zootaxa 5443 (4), pp. 523-547 : 537-539

Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov.

( Figs. 7A‒B , 6C‒D , 8A‒B )

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E4B6A61D-DED3-4450-9456-9859CECCCC72

Okenia sp. 11.— Gosliner et al. (2015): 138.

Okenia sp. 13.— Gosliner et al. (2018): 56.

Naisdoris sp. G — Paz-Sedano et al. (2024).

Type material. Holotype. CASIZ 186113 / NMP 041358 , Mato Point , Matotonngil Point , Balayan Bay , Mabini (Calumpan Peninsula), Batangas Province, Luzon, the Philippines, 13.75506 ºN 120.90678 ºE, 03 May 2011, col. by Peri Paleracio, 95% EtOH, dissected ( SEM: Radula) . Paratype. ( CASIZ 186128 ) Matotonngil Point , Balayan Bay , Mabini (Calumpan Peninsula), Batangas Province, Luzon, the Philippines, 13.75506 ºN 120.90678 ºE, 10 May 2011, col. by Alicia Hermosillo, 95% EtOH, dissected ( SEM: Radula) .

External morphology ( Figs. 7A‒B ). Preserved specimens 2–3 mm in length. Body elongated, notal border well developed. Serrated margin and middorsal crest supported by internal spicules. Two elongated, conical, and thin papillae located in front of rhinophores, one on each side. Tips of anterior papillae thinner than bases. One additional papilla on each side, smaller, elongated, and thin. Rhinophores non-retractile, elongate, and slender, bearing 11–14 lamellae oriented to posterior part. Rhinophoral sheath absent. Four thin, simple gill branches form a semicircle around anus, two anteriormost sharing common stalk. One small and tentacular oral tentacle on each side of mouth, short and muscular. Reproductive opening located on anterior third of right lateral side of body. Mantle covered by spicules.

Color pattern ( Figs. 7A‒B ). Body white. Middorsal crest, lateral crest, and tips of posterior papillae bright golden yellow. Lateral crests with dark brown patches. Rhinophores with white translucent base and same dark brown color at upper third part. Gill branches translucent white. Anterior papillae with dark brown tips, become reddish to base, ending with bright yellow.

Foregut anatomy ( Figs. 6C , 8A‒B ). Buccal bulb thick and muscular ( Fig. 6C ). Rounded and dorsal buccal pump expanding posteriorly. Small radular sac located ventrally. Behind buccal pump a thin esophagus begins. Salivary glands small and rounded, located at junction of esophagus with buccal bulb. Gland of nervous system covers this junction. Esophagus continues posteriorly and inserts into digestive-hermaphroditic gland. Thin and weak labial cuticle surrounds lips and expands within buccal pump. Radular formula 17–18 × 1.1.0.1.1. Inner lateral tooth bears a single large and thin cusp, and wide, rectangular base ( Figs. 8A‒B ). Masticatory margin of inner teeth with 20–28 small, pointed denticles ( Figs. 8A‒B ). Denticles with homogenous shape and size along the masticatory margin, slightly longer in middle part. Outer base ends in somewhat prominent wing, with rounded edge. Outer lateral tooth ( Fig. 8B ) much smaller, rectangular with two small and thin hooks ( Fig. 8B ).

Reproductive system ( Fig. 6D ). Reproductive system located at right side of anterior third of body. From ovotestis arises a thin hermaphroditic duct, which expands into big and oval ampulla. On opposite part that hermaphroditic duct enters, a postampullary duct emerges and divides into two different, thin ducts. One oviduct enters inside female gland mass. Other duct connects with first portion of prostate. Elongated, sausage-shape prostate, surrounds ampulla, narrows, and become a very thin vas deferens. Prostate and vas deferens with similar length. Vas deferens continues and expands to ejaculatory duct. Penis with small, hooked penial spines. Vagina small, similar wide to vas deferens. At end of vagina connects a small, rounded bursa copulatrix, and small and pyriform receptaculum seminis. At same point of division arises thin uterine duct that enters female gland mass. Receptaculum seminis similar in size to bursa copulatrix.

Etymology. “aurornata ” refers to the bright yellow color of the species, meaning adorned with gold “auro (=gold) ornata (=adorned)”.

Distribution. The species is known from the Philippines ( Gosliner et al. 2018; present study) and Indonesia ( Gosliner et al. 2018).

Natural history. The species has been found on coral rubble on sandy slopes ( Gosliner et al. 2018).

Remarks. The species Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. differs from N. liklik , the type species of the genus by having different color pattern ( Gosliner 2004). Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. has a white background while in N. liklik it is uniformly purplish pink ( Gosliner 2004). Moreover, N. liklik has a mid-dorsal band of chocolate brown with white patches while Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. has a mid-dorsal bright yellow crest. Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. also differs from N. liklik by having a serrated margin lacking papillae, while N. liklik has small lateral papillae ( Gosliner 2004). Moreover, N. liklik has one papilla at the middorsal part of the body, which is not present in N. aurornata sp. nov. The reproductive system also shows some differences between the two species. The bursa copulatrix, receptaculum seminis and uterine duct arise from the same point in N. aurornata sp. nov. However, in N. liklik the uterine duct separates near the base of the vagina and, from the middle of the vagina, arises a duct which connects with the receptaculum seminis ( Gosliner 2004). Also, the receptaculum seminis is rounded in N. liklik but pyriform in N. aurornata sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Buccal bulb and reproductive system. A–B. Murphydoris polkadotsa sp. nov. (QM MO 86038). A. Buccal bulb. B. Reproductive system. C–D. Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. (CASIZ 186113). C. Buccal bulb. D. Reproductive system. E–F. Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov. (WAM S72700). E. Buccal bulb. F. Reproductive system. G–H. Naisdoris vitiligata sp. nov. (ZCR.MOL.15410). G. Buccal bulb. H. Reproductive system. Abbreviations: am, ampulla; bc, bursa copulatrix; bp, buccal pump; fgm, female gland mass; hd, hermaphroditic duct; oe, esophagus; op, esophageal pump; p, penis; pr, prostate; ra, radular sac; rs, receptaculum seminis; sgl, salivary gland; ud, uterine duct; va, vagina; vd, vas deferens. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Living animals. A. Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. (CASIZ 186113) B. Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. (CASIZ 186128). C. Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov. (WAM S72659). D. Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov. (WAM S72657). E. Naisdoris vitiligata sp. nov. (CASIZ 186126). F. Naisdoris vitiligata sp. nov. (ZCR.MOL.15410). (Photos A, B, E by T. Gosliner, C, D by G. Cobb, F by T. C. Hoon)

FIGURE 8. Scanning electron micrographs and light microscope photographs of cuticles, radulae and penis. A‒B. Naisdoris aurornata sp. nov. (CASIZ 186113). A. Detail of inner lateral teeth. B. Detail of outer lateral teeth. C‒G. Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov. C. Detail of labial cuticle elements (WAM S72659). D. Detail of inner lateral teeth with denticles (WAM S72657). E. Detail of inner lateral teeth without denticles (WAM S72100). F. Detail of outer lateral teeth (WAM S72659). G. Detail of penial spines (QM MO 86036). H‒J. Naisdoris vitiligata sp. nov. (ZCR.MOL.15410). H. Detail of inner lateral teeth. I. Detail of outer lateral teeth. J. Detail penial spines. Scale bars: A, B, D, E, H: 20 μm; C, 5 μm; F, G, I, J: 10 μm.