Gymnodoris bernardae De Souza-Canal & Valdés sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BA2D8A54-8112-44CE-8917-CF4574DB83D4

(Fig. 18K, 20C–D, 21A)

Type material. Holotype: New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac (20°36.7'S, 164°09.1'E), 10 m depth [Koumac 2.3 Expedition, stn. KR1057], 18 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 4 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26511, isolate JD54).

Description. Body narrow, elongate, smooth, with numerous small, conical tubercles. Velum distinct, narrow, forming an anterior protuberance with 4 small tubercles; notal rim absent, velum fuses with dorsum behind rhinophores (Figs. 18K). Color translucent dirty-white, with network of opaque white pigment, tubercles yellow-orange; posterior end of foot translucent with same color pattern. Internal organs not visible through body wall. Rhinophores bulbous, with 9 lamellae, opaque white. Gill with 9 small, bipinnate, translucent leaves, arranged in row anterior to anus. Foot narrower than notum, opaque white. Oral tentacles absent.

Radular formula 6 × 9.0. 9 in the 4 mm preserved length holotype (MNHN-IM-2019-26511). All radular teeth similar in size, with broad bases, elongate slightly curved, blunt cusps (Fig. 21A).

Reproductive system with a short, broad ampulla, connecting to female gland complex, prostate (Fig. 20C). Prostate large, tubular, curved around bursa copulatrix, narrowing into a slightly convoluted deferent duct, opening into a common atrium with vagina. Vagina long, narrow, connecting into bursa copulatrix near seminal receptacle connection. Bursa copulatrix spherical, about three times as large as ovoid seminal receptacle. Penial spines triangular to elongate (about 20–80 µm long), with narrow bases (Fig. 20D).

Phylogenetic position. Gymnodoris bernardae sp. nov. is the most basal member of a clade (PP: 1, MLB: 93) also including Gymnodoris feyae sp. nov., Gymnodoris sp. 60, and Gymnodoris striata (PP: 1, MLB: 100). The position of this clade in the overall phylogeny of Gymnodoris is unresolved (Fig. 1A).

Etymology. This species is name in honor of Carole Bernard, who led the educational and outreach programs during the Koumac expeditions, to stress the importance of sharing the value of biodiversity with local and broader communities.

Remarks. Gymnodoris bernardae sp. nov. is externally very different from other species in its clade, including Gymnodoris feyae sp. nov., Gymnodoris sp. 60, and Gymnodoris striata, all of which have longitudinal ridges. No other species illustrated by Yonow (2008), Gosliner et al. (2018), Nakano (2018) or Knutson & Gosliner (2022) resemble this species.