Bermudella lahainensis, 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 : 529-530

Bermudella lahainensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1B‒C , 2C‒D , 3G‒J )

Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:714A394C-D5DB-4A5F-851F-FCA256AB5545

Okenia sp. 2 — Pittman & Fiene (2007)

Bermudella spC— Paz-Sedano et al. (2024)

Type material. Holotype. CASIZ 199240 , Wahikuli, Maui , Hawaii, 8‒11 m depth, 31 March 2014, col. by C. Pittman, 95% EtOH, dissected ( SEM: Radula) . Paratypes. CASIZ 192539 , Maalaea Bay, Maui , Hawaii, 9‒10 m depth, 11 April 2013, col. by C. Pittman, 95% EtOH, dissected ( SEM: Radula) ; CASIZ 174996 , Whaler’s Village, Lahaina, Maui , Hawaii, 03 May 2007, col. by C. Pittman, 95% EtOH ; CASIZ 180297 , Airport Beach, Maui , Hawaii, 25 May 2008, col. by C. Pittman, 95% EtOH .

External morphology ( Figs. 1B ‒ C ). Preserved specimens 2–3 mm in length. Body elongated, with reduced notal border bearing wide, elongated papillae. Five or six papillae on each side of body, one in front of rhinophores, one next to rhinophores, 2–3 between rhinophores and gill, one behind gill. Anterior and posterior papillae larger than papillae located between rhinophores and gill. Two papillae similar in shape and size located at middorsal part of body. Rhinophores nonretractile, elongated, and slender, bearing 4–5 lamellae each oriented to posterior part. Tips of rhinophores smooth. Rhinophoral sheaths absent. Gill composed of six thin, simple branches forming a semicircle around anus; each stalk bearing two gill branches, one middorsal stalk, one on each side. One digitiform oral tentacle on each side of mouth. Reproductive opening located on right lateral side in anterior third of body. Mantle covered by spicules.

Color pattern ( Figs. 1B ‒ C ). Body translucent whitish with yellow lemon patches, small white spots may be present. Papillae, oral tentacles, tips of rhinophores and gills, and tail translucent with intense white pigmentation. Base of rhinophores and gill branches with red wine patches.

Foregut anatomy ( Figs. 2C , 3G‒J ). Buccal bulb thick and muscular ( Fig. 2C ), with rounded, small dorsal buccal pump and ventral radular sac. Esophagus begins from buccal bulb behind buccal pump. Nervous system covers this junction. Very small salivary gland located on each side of esophagus. Esophagus continues posteriorly and inserts into digestive-hermaphroditic gland. Labial cuticle surrounds lips and expands within buccal pump. Radular formula 16‒19 × 1.1.0.1.1. Inner lateral tooth with single large cusp, and wide, rectangular base ( Fig. 3G–I ). Masticatory margin bearing 22–24 wide, pointed denticles ( Figs. 3G–I ). Denticles homogeneous along masticatory margin, except for denticles located on outermost and innermost side, being slightly smaller. Outer base ends in somewhat prominent wing. Small outer lateral tooth ( Fig. 3J ), rectangular with two large, thin hooks ( Fig. 3J ).

Reproductive system ( Fig. 2D ). Reproductive system located in anterior third of body. Thin hermaphroditic duct begins at ovotestis, located inside digestive-hermaphroditic gland. Hermaphroditic duct expands into small, oval ampulla. Very short postampullary duct emerges from opposite side of ampulla and divides into two different, thin ducts. Short oviduct enters inside female gland mass. Second and longer duct connects with prostate. Prostate wide and elongated, folds, narrows and passes into a very thin, short vas deferens. Vas deferens continues and expands to ejaculatory duct. Penis with small, hooked penial spines. Vagina short and small, similar in size to vas deferens. Two longer, thin ducts arise from vagina, one connects with rounded bursa copulatrix, second duct connects with pyriform receptaculum seminis. Receptaculum seminis smaller than bursa copulatrix. Uterine duct connects with base of receptaculum seminis and enters female gland mass.

Etymology. The specific name “lahainensis ” refers to the type locality of the species, Maui, Hawaii, honoring the loses of life and Hawaiian history damaged in the devastating fires that swept West Maui in recent times.

Distribution. To date, this species is only known from Hawaii ( Pittman & Fiene 2007; present study).

Natural history. The species is found in beds of Halimeda kanaloana Vroom, 2006 , at depths over 10 m ( Pittman & Fiene 2007).

Remarks. Bermudella species can be divided into two groups depending on their background color, one with brownish color and a second with colorful background ( Paz-Sedano et al. 2024). These last colorful species usually have a pattern of lines along the body while B. lahainensis sp. nov. has bright patches. The most similar species to B. lahainensis sp. nov. is the Indo-Pacific species B. mija ( Burn, 1967) . Both species share the presence of yellow spots along the body. However, B. mija has black specks within the yellow spots while B. lahainensis sp. nov. lacks them ( Burn 1967). Moreover, B. mija has nine dorsal papillae while B. lahainensis sp. nov. has two. The radula and reproductive system of B. mija are unknown ( Burn 1967).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Living animals. A. Trapania franae sp. nov. (QM MO 86031). B‒C. Bermudella lahainensis sp. nov., B. CASIZ 180297 and C. CASIZ 192539; D. Bermudella mica. E. Ceratodoris plebeia (MNCN 15.05/94478). F‒G. Ceratodoris trypomandyas sp. nov., F. QM MO 86033 and G. AM C. 270712. H. Murphydoris polkadotsa sp. nov. (QM MO 86038). (Photos A, F–H by G. Cobb., B‒C by C. Pittman, D by P. Pérez, E by S. T. Huang)

FIGURE 2. Buccal bulb and reproductive system. A‒B. Trapania franae sp. nov. (QM MO 86031), A. Buccal bulb. B. Reproductive system. C‒D. Bermudella lahainensis sp. nov. (CASIZ 199240). C. Buccal bulb. D. Reproductive system. E‒F. Bermudella mica (MNCN 15.05/94474). E. Buccal bulb. F. Reproductive system. G–H. Bermudella plebeia (MNCN 15.05/94477). G. Buccal bulb. H. Reproductive system. I‒J. Ceratodoris trypomandyas sp. nov. (QM MO 86034). I. Buccal bulb. J. 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 3. Scanning electron micrographs and light microscope photographs of cuticles, radulae, and penis. A‒F. Trapania franae sp. nov. (QM MO 86031). A. Detail of jaws. B. Frontal view of radula. C‒E. Detail of denticles of the tooth. F. Detail of penial spines. G‒J. Bermudella lahainensis sp. nov. G. Frontal view of the radula (CASIZ 119240). H. Frontal view of half radula (CASIZ 192539). I. Detail of inner and outer lateral teeth (CASIZ 192539). J. Detail of outer lateral teeth (CASIZ 119240). Scale bars: A, B, G: 20 μm; C, H, J: 20 μm; D‒F, I: 10 μm.