Verconia verconiforma (Rudman, 1995)

Description

A small chromodorid, holotype 6 mm long alive. The mantle is translucent white with a reticulate pattern of opaque white that gives the mantle a sponge-like appearance. A thin band of opaque white runs around the mantle edge. Mantle glands are not visible in the living animal but appear in preserved specimens as large single opaque spheres forming an irregular band around the mantle skirt. The rhinophore stalk is translucent clear; the lower third of the rhinophore club is opaque white and the upper two-thirds bright orange-red. There are seven simple gills, translucent white with bright orange-red edges along the upper two-thirds; the lamellae of the upper third of each gill are also lined with orange-red, and the gills vibrate rhythmically. The mantle is ovate with a relatively broad overlap, and approximately midway down each side the mantle edge folds out as a semi-permanent lateral widening, giving the animal a cross-like outline. The underside of mantle, body and foot is translucent white.

Distribution

Type locality: NW side of Récif de l'Infernet, off Koumac, New Caledonia, 9-10 m. Originally described from a single specimen.

Etymology

The name verconiforma refers to the sponge-like colouration and texture of the mantle, reminiscent of Verconia verconis.

Remarks

Originally described in the genus Noumea. Noumea was subsequently treated as a junior synonym of Verconia, and the species is now placed there. The red-tipped gills and rhinophores and vibratile gills are reminiscent of Noumea romeri, but the spongiform texture of the mantle of this species is quite different, providing an easy external diagnostic.

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References

• Noumea verconiforma n.sp., Rudman, W. B. (1995). The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species from New Caledonia and the Noumea romeri colour group. Molluscan Research. 16(1): 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/13235818.1995.10673663
• Verconia verconiforma, Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012). Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: a molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479.
• Noumea verconiforma, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.