Gymnodoris mariefranceae De Souza-Canal & Valdés, 2025

Gymnodoris mariefranceae De Souza-Canal & Valdés sp. nov.

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( Figs. 13D–E View FIGURE 13 , 14E–F View FIGURE 14 , 15B–H View FIGURE 15 )

Type material. Holotype: New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac Bay ( 20°34.5'S, 164°16.6'E), 0 m depth [Koumac 2.1 Expedition, stn. KM603 , river mouth fringed by some mangroves], 12 Sep 2018, 9 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26391, isolate JD28) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac, Pandop Bay ( 20°34.6'S, 164°17'E), 0 m depth [ Koumac 2.1 Expedition, stn. KM102 , sand-mud flat with seagrass and mangroves], 6 Sep 2018, 1 specimen 6 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26392, isolate JD97) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac, Pandop Point ( 20°34.2'S, 164°16.6'E), 0 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition, stn. KM702 ], 29 Oct 2019, 1 specimen 9 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26425, isolate JD31) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac, Pandop Point ( 20°34.7'S, 164°16.9'E), 0 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition, stn. KM705 ], 6 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 5 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26390, isolate JD21); 6 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 8 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26424, isolate JD16) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac ( 20°48.4'S, 164°17'E), 3 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition, stn. KB637], 12 Nov 2019, 1 specimen 13 mm preserved length Pointe de Pandop GoogleMaps , New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac ( 20°35.3'S, 164°16.5'E), 7 m depth [ Koumac 2.3 Expedition, stn. KR901], 31 Oct 2019, 1 specimen 8 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26393, isolate JD37), 1 specimen 6 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26389, isolate JD20) GoogleMaps .

Description. Body oval to elongate, with several large, low, rounded to conical tubercles, more densely arranged around notal rim; velum absent, notal rim fuses with head anteriorly ( Figs. 15B–H View FIGURE 15 ). Color translucent white, tubercles yellow-orange, in some specimens yellow-orange line around notal rim. Internal organs visible through body wall as orange, white masses; branched, opaque white glandular structure visible near posterior end of body. Rhinophores conical, with 6–7 lamellae, white stalk, club, with orange tips. Gill with 8 small, bipinnate, white leaves, arranged in a circle around anus. Foot narrower than notum, opaque white. Oral tentacles absent.

Radular formula 24 × 13.0. 13 in an 8 mm preserved length specimen (MNHN-IM-2019-26389). Innermost lateral teeth large, hook-shaped, with curved smooth cusps ( Fig. 13D View FIGURE 13 ). Other lateral teeth elongate, with broad bases, long, curved cusps, becoming smaller towards outer edge of half-row ( Fig. 13E View FIGURE 13 ).

Reproductive system with an elongate, broad ampulla, connecting to female gland complex, near prostate connection ( Fig. 14E View FIGURE 14 ). Prostate large, flattened, curved around bursa copulatrix, narrowing into a highly convoluted deferent duct, opening into a common atrium with vagina. Vagina long, straight, connecting into bursa copulatrix near seminal receptacle connection. Bursa copulatrix ovoid, about 10 times as large as pyriform seminal receptacle. Penial spines triangular to elongate (about 100–150 µm long), with relatively broad bases ( Fig. 14F View FIGURE 14 ).

Phylogenetic position. The phylogenetic position of Gymnodoris mariefranceae sp. nov. is unresolved due to low support values ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Marie-France Lage, mother of the first author, in appreciation for passing on her passion for the marine world, and for always showing support and curiosity in the first author’s research.

Remarks. As discussed above Gymnodoris mariefranceae sp. nov. is externally similar to Gymnodoris fleuroti sp. nov. but can be readily distinguished by several external and internal characteristics discussed above.

Other similar species are G. sp. G and G. sp. X, however, these two species have more densely arranged orange tubercles and they both lack glandular structures at the posterior end of the body. The were also recovered as different species in the species delimitation analyses.