Bermudella harastii (Pola, Roldán & Padilla, 2014)

Description

A small goniodoridid about 7 mm in body length. The body is translucent white with translucent brown overlaying the head and dorsum, and small white and brown spots scattered over the surface. Long, translucent white papillae are arranged along the mantle margin and across the anterior edge of the head, with additional papillae rising from the middle of the dorsum. There are six pairs of lateral papillae along the body, and two to four papillae on the back just in front of the gills. The rhinophores are brown at the base, with the upper half translucent white, and bear lamellae only on the posterior side. The gill plume is translucent brown.

Distribution

Type locality: New South Wales, Australia. The species was distinguished from related Okenia taxa by molecular analysis of populations along the NSW coast, and is currently known only from eastern Australia. It feeds on bryozoans.

Etymology

The specific epithet harastii honours the Australian marine biologist Dr David Harasti of Nelson Bay, New South Wales, who has spent many years researching the conservation of marine species such as seahorses.

Remarks

Externally the species resembles Bermudella zoobotryon, Okenia angelensis, Okenia distincta, and Okenia mija, and was distinguished from those taxa only through molecular phylogenetic analysis as a cryptic species.

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References

• Okenia harastii sp. nov., Pola M., Roldán P. & Padilla S. (2014). Molecular data on the genus Okenia (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) reveal a new cryptic species from New South Wales (Australia). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 94(3): 587-598. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315413001793
• Okenia sp. 2, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
• ソバカスイバラウミウシ（新称）, 中野理枝. (2018). 日本のウミウシ. 文一総合出版.
• Bermudella harastii (Clade H, Clade S.2; transferred from Okenia), Paz-Sedano S., Moles J., Smirnoff D., Gosliner T.M. & Pola M. (2024). A combined phylogenetic strategy illuminates the evolution of Goniodorididae nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 192: 107990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107990