Naisdoris labalsaensis Paz-Sedano & Cobb & Gosliner & Pola 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Paz-Sedano, Sofia
name: Cobb, Gary
name: Gosliner, Terrence M.
name: Pola, Marta
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Nudibranchia
Goniodorididae
Naisdoris
Naisdoris labalsaensis

description: Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov.
(Figs. 7C‒D, 6E‒F, 8C‒G)
Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: FD76E528-127C-4588-9A85-334FC79DCDC2
Okenia sp. 11— Cobb (2012)
Okenia cf. liklik — Mullins (2021)
Naisdoris sp. E — Paz-Sedano et al. (2024)
Type material. Holotype. WAM S72100, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 18 November 2017, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle). Paratypes. QM MO 86035, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 2019, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle); QM MO 86036, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 11 December 2019, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle, penis); AM C.270714, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 31 December 2019, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle, penis); WAM S72657, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 31 August 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle); WAM S72658, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 20 September 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH; WAM S72659, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 06 September 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula, labial cuticle, penis); WAM S72698, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 08 December 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH; WAM S72699, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 15 December 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH; WAM S72700, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Queensland, Australia, 1–5 m depth, 15 December 2018, col. by G. Cobb, 96% EtOH, dissected (SEM: radula).
External morphology (Figs. 7C‒D). Preserved specimens 3–5 mm in length, live up to 15 mm. Body elongated, well developed notal border, serrated due to presence of internal spicules. One middorsal crest also supported by spicules. Two elongated, conical, and thin papillae located in front of rhinophores, one on each side. Tips of anterior papillae thinner than bases. Four elongated and thin, with homogeneous shape, papillae located behind gill, two on each side. Anterior papillae slightly larger than posterior papillae. Rhinophores non-retractile, elongated, and slender, bearing 13–16 lamellae oriented posteriorly. Rhinophoral sheath absent. Four thin, simple gill branches form a semicircle around anus, two anteriormost sharing common stalk. One oral tentacle on each side of mouth, short and muscular, somewhat triangular shape. Reproductive opening located on anterior third of right lateral side of body. Mantle covered by spicules.
Color pattern (Figs. 7C‒D). Body pink. Mantle edge with light yellow or white patches, interspersed with dark brown spots. Yellow or white patches on mantle edge match with small spikes of serrated border. Pink middorsal line with yellow patches more intense, surrounded with white patch, may have some dispersed small dark brown spots. Anteriormost papillae dark brown, with dark yellow base. Posteriormost papillae white at outer half of papillae, basal half same coloration as body. Gill branches translucent with light yellow tips. Rhinophores with brown tips and white basal lamellae. Foot translucent pink.
Foregut anatomy (Figs. 6E, 8C‒F). Buccal bulb thick and muscular (Fig. 6E). Markedly large and wide, dorsal buccal pump expanding posteriorly. Small, flat radular sac located ventrally. Thin esophagus begins from buccal bulb behind buccal pump. Salivary glands rounded, located at junction of esophagus with buccal bulb. Nervous system covers this junction. Esophagus continues posteriorly and inserts into digestive-hermaphroditic gland. Labial cuticle surrounds lips and expands within buccal pump. Inside buccal bulb, thin labial cuticle bears honey-comb elements (Fig. 8C). Radular formula 18–20 × 1.1.0.1.1. Inner lateral tooth with single large and thin cusp, and wide, rectangular base (Figs. 8D–E). Cusp large and pointed, masticatory margin may bear 20–28 small, pointed denticles (Fig. 8D) or may be smooth (Fig. 8E). When present, denticles with homogenous shape, those located at extremities slightly smaller. Outer base ends in somewhat prominent wing, with rounded edge. Outer lateral tooth much smaller, rectangular with thin hook in superior part and a hooked point (Fig. 8F).
Reproductive system (Figs. 6F, 8G). Reproductive system located at anterior-third of body.Thin hermaphroditic duct begins at ovotestis, located inside digestive-hermaphroditic gland. Hermaphroditic duct expands into large, kidney-shape ampulla. Postampullary duct emerges from ampulla and divides into two different, thin ducts. Short oviduct enters inside female gland mass. Second duct connects with first portion of prostate. Prostate sausage-shape, large. Prostate becomes a long and very thin vas deferens. It continues and expands to short ejaculatory duct. Penis with small, hooked penial spines (Fig. 8G). Vagina large, similar in width to vas deferens, slightly shorter. Vagina divides in two small and thin ducts. One connects with oval bursa copulatrix, other duct connects with oval receptaculum seminis. At same point of division of ducts arises thin, large uterine duct that enters female gland mass. Receptaculum seminis similar in size to bursa copulatrix.
Etymology. The name of the species N. labalsaensis refers to the La Balsa Park, place where the species was found and where its presence was common.
Distribution. Japan (Nakano 2018) and Australia (Cobb 2012; Mullins 2021; present study).
Natural history. The species has been found on silty, sandy substrates and rocks up to 6 m deep.
Remarks. The species N. labalsaensis sp. nov. is similar to N. liklik in sharing a pinkish color pattern. However, N. labalsaensis sp. nov. has yellow and black patches in the dorsal part of the body while N. liklik has a chocolate brown band and white markings (Gosliner 2004). The anteriormost papillae are dark brown with dark yellow base in N. labalsaensis sp. nov. and tipped with an orange subapical marking in N. liklik (Gosliner 2004). Moreover, N. liklik has papillae on the margin edge, and one mid-dorsal papilla (Gosliner 2004). However, N. labalsaensis sp. nov. has a serrated notal border supported by internal spicules, lacking papillae. There are also some differences in the internal organs. Naisdoris labalsaensis sp. nov. has much longer vagina and longer uterine duct than N. liklik (Gosliner 2004). The length of these ducts is characteristic of N. labalsaensis sp. nov. The big buccal pump is also distinctively elongated in N. labalsaensis sp. nov.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 523-547 in Zootaxa 5443 (4) on pages 539-541, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5443.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/11064312