Cyerce tutela, Moreno & Medrano & Gosliner & Wilson & Krug & Valdés, 2025

Moreno, Karina, Medrano, Sabrina, Gosliner, Terrence M., Wilson, Nerida G., Krug, Patrick J. & Valdés, Ángel, 2025, Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Cyerce Bergh, 1870 (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Sacoglossa: Caliphyllidae) from the Pacific and Indian oceans with descriptions of nine new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 204 (1) : -

Cyerce tutela sp.nov.

( Figs 9D, E, 11D, 14)

LSID: zoobank.org:act: F8E3445B-C187-40A0-AFDB-F5E8D 88ACA90.

Type material

Holotype: SW end of West Lewis Island , Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia, Australia, 29 Mar 2017, 10 m depth, leg. L. Kirkendale, N.G. Wilson, and M. Condy, 3 mm preserved length (isolate AU2, WAM S110017 ).

Other material examined

Port Hedland , Western Australia, Australia, 20 Oct 2017, intertidal, leg. D. Koehler-Teufel, 1 specimen, dissected (isolate AU1, WAM S71546 ). Port Hedland, Western Australia, Australia, 1 Sep 2021, intertidal, leg. D. Koehler-Teufel, 1 specimen, dissected (isolate AU3, WAM S58153 ) .

Range

Mid to northern Western Australia (present study), from Exmouth to Port Hedland.

Description

External morphology: Body white with scattered black dots throughout ( Fig. 9D, E). Head white, scattered with black spots throughout; base of head with greyish black patch; small greyish patch at forehead. Rhinophores white with black spotting, black patches at tips. Tentacles short, white, with scattered black dots throughout. Cerata inflated, obovate, translucent white, with scattered black spots, few elevated pale yellow, white pustules throughout. Cerata with infra-marginal banding of fuchsia, orange; black spots clustering beneath orange band. Cerata margin slightly undulating, outlined with pale yellow to black to pale yellow band, translucent defensive glands present. Foot white dorsally with scattered black spots throughout.

Internal morphology: Pharynx approximately 4 mm in length, buccal bulb similar in size to pharyngeal pouch. Teeth moderately narrow, slightly bent, about 600 µm in length; tips blunt ( Fig. 14A, B). Two rows of ~34 rhomboidal denticles, recurved backward. Ascus with more than six used teeth ( Fig. 14C). Penial stylet at opening of penis ( Fig. 11D). Penial stylet cylindrical, curved, about 100 µm in length, hollow with oval opening at tip; tip pointed, with small distinct hook.

Ecology

Associated with the green algae Udotea spp.

Etymology

This species is named in honour of the traditional owners and first peoples of Australia who continue to work to protect the lands and sea. The Latin noun ‘tutela’ means protection and care, and alludes to the Roman concept of guardianship.

Remarks

All methods of species delimitation analysis distinguished Cyerce tutela sp. nov. from Cyerce blackburnae sp. nov., which were sister taxa in phylogenetic analyses ( Fig. 1A). Cyerce tutela sp. nov. is morphologically distinct from all other species of Cyerce , including Cyerce blackburnae sp. nov. as detailed in the remarks for Cyerce blackburnae sp. nov. Like C. blackburnae sp. nov., living C. tutela also exhibited distinctive swimming behaviour when disturbed (Alex Hoschke and Glenn Whisson pers. comm.). This species has been found intertidally in Port Hedland, and subtidally off Exmouth and Dampier.

Clade 3