Goniodoridella miramarae

Goniodoridella miramarae (Ortea & Espinosa, 2001)

Goniodoridella miramarae @ Taliarte, Gran Canaria by Pablo Samper Méndez

Taxonomic note: Regarding their coloration and external morphology, only two Atlantic taxa resemble Goniodoridella miramarae: Okenia sp.1 from the book by Valdés et al. (2006: p.126) shows a specimen collected in Flamingo Bay, Virgin Islands (Bahamas) that shares the same number and distribution of lateral and mid-dorsal papillae. Also Goniodoridella picoensis (Paz-Sedano, Ortigosa & Pola, 2017), described from specimens collected on Pico Island (Açores, Portugal) with a white body background with yellow or light orange lamellae, rhinophores and gill tips, without the purplish-pink spot behind the gills of G. miramarae, and with lateral papillae located on each side of the gill, not as large as those of G. miramarae and never exceeding the length of the tail when the animal moves. G. picoensis has lamellated rhinophores while G. miramarae has 3 cup shaped lamellae basal to 5 tubercles on the apical part. Although G.miramarae was cited in Taliarte, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, based on two photographs (Moro et al., 2016: p.21, pl.7), due to the lack of collected specimens (which we suspect belong to G. picoensis), we understand that further anatomical and molecular studies of new specimens from the Canary Islands are needed to clarify this matter.
Pictures attached to this species record, although they are classified as G. miramarae by its author, are presumably G. picoensis due to the lamellate, non-tuberculate rhinophores.

Synonyms

• Okenia miramarae  Ortea & Espinosa, 2001

Description
Species with a white opaque body, translucent on the periphery. All the body processes, the rhinophores and the gills have yellow or orange colored tips. In the anterior part of the body there is a cephalic veil with four appendages, two located in the anterior part, and two flanking the rhinophores by the outer side. At the sides of the body there are two or three appendages, the anterior ones are similar to those of the head, and two very long ones flanking the gill. In front of the gill there is an appendix of similar length to the ones on the front, arranged vertically on the body. The rhinophores are relatively long, with 3 cup shaped lamellae basal to 5 tubercles on the apical part. The gill is composed by four unipinnate leaves coming out of three peduncles, since the two inner leaves are joined at the base and share the peduncle. Each branchial leaf has 5-6 spaced lamellae which do not reach the apex. Behind the gill there is a pinkish-purple spot.

Biology
Although its food source is unknown, it is feasible that this species feeds of small bryozoans like other species of Goniodoridella. The spawn consists of a little mass of small white eggs, attached to the substrate. The long appendages that flank the gill are very characteristic for this species, and when the animal is moving they stretch and surpass the end of the tail. In general the whole body of the animal and its appendages stretch and look more stylized when it moves, and contract when it is at rest.

Etymology

• Miramarae, to the type locality for the species, Miramar quarter in La Habana, Cuba.

Distribution
After its original description in Cuban waters, only three other reports are known, all in Taliarte, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), where this species seems to be well established, but morphological differences with the original species seem to indicate these reports from the Canary Islands refer to Goniodoridella picoensis.

More pictures

Bibliography

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Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Flickr pictures
• GBIF.ORG
• Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
• World Register of Marine Species

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