Hypselodoris cf. maculosa Rudman, 1999b

Hypselodoris cf. maculosa Rudman, 1999b View in CoL , in part.

Type material

Holotype: CASIZ 175550 , subsampled for molecular study, dissected, wall at south end of reef, 14.157833°S, 47.6485°E, west of Nosy Valiha , Îles Radama, Madagascar, 15 October 2005, T. Gosliner and S. Fahey. GoogleMaps

Type locality

West of Nosy Valiha, Îles Radama, Madagascar.

Geographical distribution

Known from Madagascar (present study) and possibly Sri Lanka ( Houben, 2007), South Africa ( Ogden, 2005) and Reunion Island ( Bidgrain, 2005).

Etymology

This small but striking species is named for author Rebecca Johnson’s daughter, Juniper Rodgers. Juniper, also one of a kind, loves bright colours and patterns, and when she was only 4 years old said, ‘Slugs are just like land nudibranchs’. This nudibranch is for you.

Description

External morphology: Living animals ( Fig. 1F) small, reaching 9 mm in length. Body long, slender, translucent pink, with four groups of small white tubercles arranged longitudinally in linear fashion. Two additional rows of submarginal spots. Deep purple spots found between areas of white spots, arranged in longitudinal rows. Centre of spots darker purple than outer portions. Broad orange band along lateral margins of notum, with deeper orange anteriorly and posteriorly in region of mantle glands. Anterior and posterior ends of the animal with purple areas. Similar pattern of lines and spots found on lateral margins of the body and foot. Five to six unipinnate gill branches having a translucent white base and inner margin and bright red–orange pigment on outer surface margin. Bulb of perfoliate rhinophores opaque white, with two red transverse bands and bearing ~11 densely arranged lamellae. Base of rhinophores translucent white.

Mantle glands: Subcutaneous mantle glands simple and rounded in shape ( Fig. 2G). Glands situated anteriorly and posteriorly, with no glands present in the central lateral regions of body margin. Ten glands on either side of anterior end of the body, with arc of ten glands situated posteriorly.

Buccal armature: Muscular portion of buccal mass longer than oral tube. Chitinous labial cuticle found at anterior end of muscular portion of the buccal mass bearing numerous jaw rodlets ( Fig. 16A). Rodlets sharply angled with single, acutely pointed apex and posterolateral extensions. Radular formula of holotype ( CASIZ 175550) 33 × 19.0.19. Rachidian row of teeth absent ( Fig. 16B). Innermost lateral teeth having one large triangular denticle on inner side of bifid primary cusp, with another two outer denticles. Next several laterals lacking inner triangular denticle but possessing two denticles on outer side of primary bifid cusps. Midlateral teeth ( Fig. 16C) all lacking inner denticles but having two or three sharply pointed, triangular outer denticles. Outermost teeth having a narrower base and shorter tooth shape, with three to five rounded outer denticles ( Fig. 16D).