Gymnodoris sp. 3

Gymnodoris sp. 3

( Figs. 10A–K View FIGURE 10 )

Material examined. New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac ( 20°28.1'S, 164°07.6'E), 6 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition , stn. KB620, reef slope of fringing reef flat of lagoonal islet], 3 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 2 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26460, isolate JD84) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac ( 20°36'S, 164°14.1'E), 1 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition , stn. KR660], 21 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 4 mm preserved length ( MNHN- IM-2019-26471 , isolate JD76) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac ( 20°46.9'S, 164°16.4'E), 2 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition , stn. KB627], 7 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 3 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26470, isolate JD82) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Poum, Passe de la Gazelle ( 20°22.04'S, 163°55.51'E) [ABC Poum Expedition , stn. ABC58 ], 15 Jun 2023, 1 specimen 5 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26472, isolate JD106) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa, Île Gece ( 20°41.28'S, 166°22.31'E) [ Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition , stn. QUP03 ], 6 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 4 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26473, isolate JD176); 1 specimen 3 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-264527, isolate JD164) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa, South Mouly ( 20°43.76'S, 166°25.51'E), 0 m depth [ Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition , stn. QUM07 ], 8 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 4 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26474, isolate JD159) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa, West of Mouly Bridge ( 20°42.56'S, 166°27.76'E), 0 m depth [ Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition , stn. QUM10 ], 9 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 5 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26475, isolate JD174) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa ( 20°43.96'S, 166°25.36'E) [ Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition , stn. QUP21 ], 11 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 4 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26478, isolate JD186) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa, Tiberia ( 20°28.5'S, 166°35.66'E), 0 m depth [ Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition , stn. QUP27 ], 12 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 6 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26476, isolate JD172) GoogleMaps .

New Caledonia: Loyalty Is.: Ouvéa, Pont de Mouly ( 20°41.91'S, 166°28.33'E), 5 m depth [Quinzaine des Nudibranches Ouvéa Expedition, stn. QUP66, night dive], 19 Jan 2024, 1 specimen 3 mm preserved length ( MNHN- IM-2019-26503 , isolate JD154) GoogleMaps .

Description. Body narrow, elongate, with several large, conical tubercles ( Figs. 10A–K View FIGURE 10 ). Anterior end of notum with distinct velum having 8 small tubercles; notal rim absent, velum merges with notum behind rhinophores. Posterior end of foot tapering into narrow, blunt “tail.” Color translucent grey with numerous orange oval spots all over, velum tubercles orange, dorsal tubercles opaque white, irregularly scattered opaque white pigment on dorsum. Internal organs visible through body wall as dark brown, white masses. Rhinophores bulbous, with 6–8 lamellae, greyish-cream, white distal end, yellow tips. Gill with 5–7 short, bipinnate leaves, translucent white to yellow, opaque yellow rachises in some specimens, arranged in circle around anus, opened posteriorly. Foot narrower than notum, translucent yellow. Oral tentacles small, blunt.

Phylogenetic position. Gymnodoris sp. 3 is sister to Gymnodoris okinawae (PP: 0.96, MLB: 95), but the position of this clade within the larger phylogeny of Gymnodoris is poorly resolved ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Remarks. This undescribed species is widespread in the Indo-Pacific region and characterized by having a translucent grey body with scattered opaque white conical tubercles and small orange spots ( Gosliner et al. 2018). Knutson & Gosliner (2022) studied specimens from various localities in the western Pacific ( Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Kiribati) as well as in the Indian Ocean ( Saudi Arabia). Also reported from French Polynesia ( Boutet et al., 2020) as Gymnodoris sp. 1 and from Okinawa, Japan by Nakano (2018) as Gymnodoris okinawae .