Gymnodoris sp.

Gymnodoris sp. 16

( Figs. 12B–C View FIGURE 12 )

Material examined. New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac, Plateau Karembé ( 20°38.1'S, 164°16.8'E), 13 m depth [Koumac 2.1 Expedition, stn. KR203, muddy-sandy bottom with large rocks, corals, seawhips, rarely individual live hard corals], 3 Sep 2018, 1 specimen 9 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26430, isolate JD45) GoogleMaps . New Caledonia: North Province: Koumac, NW Baron Reef ( 20°33.3'S, 164°09.7'E), 12 m depth [Koumac 2.1 Expedition, stn. KR622, muddy-sandy bottom with lots of clumps of dead Acropora ], 20 Sep 2018, 1 specimen 12 mm preserved length (MNHN-IM-2019-26429, isolate JD34) GoogleMaps .

Description. Body oval to elongate, with numerous, small, conical tubercles ( Figs. 12B–C View FIGURE 12 ). Distinct velum with several irregular projections, continuing posteriorly into notal rim. Posterior end of foot tapering into pointy “tail.” Color translucent white, tubercles, velum edge orange-red; orange-red longitudinal line at posterior end of body; orange-red pigment on anterior end of foot. Internal organs partially visible through body wall as opaque white, pinkish masses. Rhinophores conical, with 15 lamellae, antero-distal club orange-red, rest of rhinophores white. Gill inconspicuous with of 8 small, bipinnate leaves, opaque white, forming full circle around anus. Foot wider than notum, translucent white. Oral tentacles very large, triangular, extended laterally.

Phylogenetic position. Gymnodoris sp. 16 is sister to Gymnodoris sp. 15 (PP: 1, MLB: 97) and this clade is probably sister to Gymnodoris brunnea (PP: 0.78, MLB: 98) ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Remarks. This undescribed species was reported from Papua New Guinea by Gosliner et al. (2018) and Knutson & Gosliner (2022), both as Gymnodoris sp. 16; here we provide the first record from New Caledonia. The specimens examined are characterized by having a broad foot with long, triangular extensions at the anterior end, and a prominent red anterior end of the head. The specimen reported as Gymnodoris sp. 20 from Okinawa, Japan by Nakano (2018) is similar and could belong to the same species.