Apata pricei komandorica Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken, Evertsen, Fletcher, Mudianta, H. Saito, Lundin, Schrödl & Picton, 2017

Description

A small slender sea slug, ~8 mm fixed (somewhat larger when alive), with a bluish-white living appearance. The notal edge is completely reduced, and the cerata are arranged in up to ten distinct comb-shaped rows along the dorsum. Cerata are finger-shaped to fusiform with gradually pointed tips and elongate cnidosacs. The digestive gland diverticula are greenish at the base/proximal half and light brownish-dark reddish toward the top, visible through the translucent body wall. White pigment dorsally covers the rhinophores, oral tentacles, and the subapical parts of the cerata; the apical parts remain translucent. Rhinophores are similar in length to the oral tentacles and bear up to 15 annulations. Anterior foot corners are short.

Distribution

Type locality: North West Pacific, Commander Islands (Holotype ZMMU Op-533, 8 mm fixed, 55°12.2182′N 165°55.4992′E, 19.5 m depth, collected 13 August 2014 by N.P. Sanamyan). NW Pacific, Commander Islands, Middle Kurile Islands; intertidal to 20-30 m on stony and soft bottom.

Etymology

Verbatim from the original description (Korshunova et al., 2017, p.65):

After the Commander Islands in the NW Pacific (after original Russian spelling Komandorskie Islands), type locality of the subspecies.

Remarks

Described as a new subspecies in a 2017 revision ZooKeys 717: 1-139. The nominate subspecies Apata pricei pricei (originally Coryphella pricei MacFarland, 1966) was described from California with up to at least 12 ceratal rows, whereas A. p. komandorica has fewer (up to ten) ceratal rows. The genus Apata was newly established in the same paper (type species Coryphella pricei) and placed in the new family Apataidae. The radula is triserial (formula 20 × 1.1.1) with the rachidian tooth bearing five to seven denticles; lateral teeth are smooth with a single strong inner denticle. The reproductive system is diaulic, with a long looped vas deferens whose distal part is considerably enlarged. The authors noted that the Commander Islands specimens are 12.98% (one Californian lineage) and 1.83% (another lineage) divergent in COI from "Apata pricei" sensu lato in California, motivating the recognition of A. p. komandorica as a separate subspecies (p.66).

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References

• Apata pricei komandorica subsp. n., Korshunova T., Martynov A., Bakken T., Evertsen J., Fletcher K., Mudianta I.W., Saito H., Lundin K., Schrödl M. & Picton B. (2017). Polyphyly of the traditional family Flabellinidae affects a major group of Nudibranchia: aeolidacean taxonomic reassessment with descriptions of several new families, genera, and species (Mollusca, Gastropoda). ZooKeys. 717: 1-139. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.717.21885
• アパタミノウミウシ（新称）, 中野理枝. (2018). 日本のウミウシ. 文一総合出版.