Notobryon panamica, Pola & Camacho-García & Gosliner, 2012

Pola, Marta, Camacho-García, Yolanda E. & Gosliner, Terrence M., 2012, Molecular data illuminate cryptic nudibranch species: the evolution of the Scyllaeidae (Nudibranchia: Dendronotina) with a revision of Notobryon, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165 (2), pp. 311-336 : 327-330

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00816.x
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5F038794-FF99-0473-4D63-FC26FC9C7216
treatment provided by	Marcus
scientific name	Notobryon panamica
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

NOTOBRYON PANAMICA SP. NOV. ( FIGS 5E View Figure 5 , 10 View Figure 10 , 11 View Figure 11 )

Notobryon wardi Behrens & Hermosillo, 2005: 99 View in CoL , upper photo, misidentification; Hermosillo et al., 2006: 167, bottom photo, misidentification.

Notobryon sp. Camacho-García et al., 2005: 95, upper photo.

Material examined: Type material: Holotype: Mexico: CASIZ 180376 , Mexico, Jalisco, Bahía de Banderas, Mismaloya , one adult specimen, dissected, 3.iv.2009, coll: A. Hermosillo, digital photograph . Paratypes: CASIZ 175778 , Mexico, Jalisco , Bahía de Banderas, Los Arcos , one adult specimen 15 mm preserved, dissected, 12.vi.2003, coll. A. Hermosillo, photo slide. Costa Rica : MZUCR-INB0003118069 , Costa Rica, Guanacaste , West Isla Catalina , intertidal, 10°28′47′′N, 85°52′17′′W, one adult specimen 15 mm preserved, dissected, 23.i.2001, coll. S. Ávila. GoogleMaps MZUCR 6356 , Costa Rica , Punta Ballena, Isla del Caño , 8 m depth, one adult specimen 20 mm preserved, dissected, 30.iv.2006, coll. Y. Camacho, digital photograph. Panama : CASIZ 088163 , Panama , Pacific coast, Isla Montuosa , 12 m maximum depth, one immature specimen 12 mm preserved, dissected, 15.iv.1993, coll . T. M. Gosliner, photo slide. CASIZ 088164 , Panama , Pacific coast, Isla Jicarita , southeast side, 7°13′N, 81°48′30′′W, 16.iv.1993, one immature specimen 6 mm preserved, 16.iv.1993, coll GoogleMaps . T. M. Gosliner, photo slide. CASIZ 088177 , Panama , Pacific coast, Isla Jicarita , anchorage, one adult specimen 20 mm preserved, dissected, 16.iv.1993, coll . T. M. Gosliner, photo slide.

Geographical distribution: This species has been recorded from the Pacific coast of southern Mexico to Costa Rica and Panama ( Hermosillo, 2002a, b; Behrens & Hermosillo, 2005; Camacho-García et al., 2005 identified as Notobryon sp. , Hermosillo, Behrens & Rios Jara, 2006 identified as N. wardi ) and the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Santa Lucía, Virgin Islands, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines ( Valdés et al., 2006 provisionally identified as N. wardi but probably an undescribed species).

Etymology: This species is named after the Panamic Biogeographical Province, to which this species appears to be restricted.

External morphology ( Fig. 10 View Figure 10 ): The body is limaciform, tapering to the acute posterior end of the foot. The anterior end of the head is indented. The foot is paddle shaped with a dorsal sail-shaped crest. The rhinophoral sheaths are wide and tall with a posteriorly directed crest. They expand into a wide opening through which the perfoliate rhinophores are visible. The crest is crenulated with a few tubercles at the base of its posterior side. The rhinophores are perfoliate with about 15 lamellae. The three lobes of the digestive gland are readily visible through the body. Small rounded tubercles are present on the body surface. The body has four lateral rounded lobes that are extended laterally when the animal is at rest or vertically when it is actively crawling. Each lobe has four secondary ‘gills’ of about the same length. These ‘gills’ are higher than the dorsal lobes. One pair is located below the base of each lobe, on the notum and the other pair just above them, but on the lobe. The secondary ‘gills’ are tripinnate. In one of the specimens examined ( MZUCR 6356), there is one extra secondary ‘gill’ located at the anterior part of the tail. Both pairs of dorsolateral lobes are very similar in size, the first pair sometimes slightly larger than the posterior pair. The upper margin of the lobes, the rhinophoral sheaths, and the tail are markedly crenulated. The anal papilla is elevated and lobated, located on the right side, immediately in front of the posterior lobe. The genital opening is located laterally at a level behind and ventral to the right rhinophore.

The body colour is translucent brown. The internal organs are orangish yellow. The notum is covered with opaque yellowish white, olive green, and blue traces of pigment. These spots are also spread over the oral veil, rhinophoral sheaths, dorsolateral lobes, and tail crest. Some pinkish spots also occur on the margins of the dorsolateral lobes and the branchial sheaths. Scattered brown spots are also found over the notum, the laterals, and the posterior metapodium. The tubercles are opaque white to light brown in colour. The rhinophoral sheaths are the same colour as the notum with some blue, green, and pink specks. The rhinophoral apex is opaque white. The spotting on the body may be present and more notable in some animals than others. The branchial leaves are almost transparent, some of them speckled with pink. Ventrally, the foot is light grey.

Anatomy: The alimentary canal begins anteriorly with an oval, muscular buccal bulb that has a pair of strong and elongate jaws ( Fig. 11A View Figure 11 ). The masticatory edge of the jaws is expanded into a wing-like flap. Over the edge of this flap is a series of polygonal rodlets that have a series of denticles along their outer edge. These rodlets form a honey-comb pattern over the entire surface of the masticatory edge ( Fig. 11B View Figure 11 ). The radula is broad and lacks rachidian teeth ( Fig. 11C View Figure 11 ). The radula formula is 9–18 ¥ 13– 20.0.13–20. The specific formula for some of the specimens studied in this paper is shown in Table 1. Most of the cusps bear denticles on both sides, stronger but less numerous on the outer face of each cusp ( Fig. 11C, D View Figure 11 ). The inner and outermost teeth may lack any denticulation or have a very faint one. The teeth gradually increase in size towards the outer margin except for the last two to three outermost teeth, which are smaller ( Fig. 11C, D View Figure 11 ). The salivary glands are elongate and flocculent surrounding the foremost part of the long and narrow oesophagus. We found six to seven thick plates-like elevations on the stomach, which are broadly triangular, with a broad base and a central apex ( Fig. 11E View Figure 11 ). The digestive gland forms three distinct unbranched lobes.

The reproductive system is shown in Figure 5E View Figure 5 . The ovotestis consists of two globular gonads lying on the upper side of the posterior digestive gland mass. From each gonad a thin-walled duct passes forwards to the hermaphroditic duct. The distal end of the hermaphroditic duct gets wider and expands into a long and convoluted ampulla that branches into the vas deferens and the oviduct. The oviduct enters the female gland mass. The vas deferens is short, wide, and somewhat folded. It lacks a morphologically welldifferentiated prostate gland mass but about half of its length has a different texture and appearance. The penis is flattened and paddle-shaped with a symmetrical apex. It lacks any auxiliary projections and is unarmed ( Fig. 11F–H View Figure 11 ). The vagina is short with an elongate bursa copulatrix.

Natural history: Rare, subtidal. This species, when disturbed, swims by lateral movements of the body. Feeds on Lytocarpus hydroids ( Hermosillo, 2002a, b; Behrens & Hermosillo, 2005; Hermosillo et al., 2006).