Cyerce bourbonica Yonow 2012

The description of the colour and pattern is based on a series of photographs of the type specimens: body covered in fewer than 30 slightly inflated and tubercular cerata, loosely arranged in transverse rows along each side. Each ceras can be flat or swollen, angular with rounded corners (Fig. 3B, C), semi-translucent beige to green, margins pale blue-violet ‘beaded’ with opaque pale orange pigment, and sub-marginal black spots. The profile is in one plane along the sides but strongly convex at the distal end. Tubercles opaque white, concentrations of larger black spots in lateral swellings. Very few black spots scattered on cerata but yellow spots, olive-green patches, and light green to light brown marbling present. In some photographs, paired dark brown globular patches visible in alcohol-preserved specimens can be seen as circular red-brown patches at bases of cerata (Plate 14, right-hand cerata at level of pericardium). Anterior portion of body marbled: head and rhinophores semi-translucent; eyes clearly visible at bases of rhinophores (Plate 15). Oral tentacles short and recurved. Frontal margin of head with black spots, and behind eyes and rhinophores, coalesced to form a network. Broad orange band on each side of head, outside the black spots. Pericardium immediately behind first two or three rows of cerata, swollen, ochre-coloured, bare of cerata. The specimens preserved in alcohol are in excellent condition; the paratype in formaldehyde shed 23 larger cerata. It is cream in colour, while the holotype and second paratype are semi-translucent. Dark patch of pigment anterior to swollen pericardium behind rhinophores and faint pigmented patch beyond. Pericardium a large swelling but dissection of paratype in formaldehyde did not reveal vessels and disintegrated with further prodding. Large swollen anal papillae behind right rhinophore near eye in all preserved specimens. Conical penis visible below right rhinophore in alcohol paratype only, no spine apparent at tip. Ventral views well presented in alcohol (Fig. 3A); rhinophores visible, as are head and oral tentacles; propodium with row of black spots along anterior margin, rounded metapodium with a row of black spots all around its edge except anteriorly. Cerata angular with three rounded corners near distal margin. At the base, doughnut-shaped attachment point and small flap beyond (Fig. 3B). Minute pointed papillae located in a band following the contours on both surfaces of the cerata, white in certain angles of light (Fig. 3C). Edges of some preserved cerata appear serrated (Fig. 3C). Brown triangular patch present on flap at base of each ceras in alcohol-preserved specimens. Two dark brown to black bodies inside cerata, formed of very small globules (Fig. 3B,C), near base above and beside attachment point. Dissection of the formaldehyde-preserved paratype proved impossible as only the outer skin was preserved, the internal organs decomposed. However, the muscular pharynx remained solid and was removed to extract the radula. Radular formula 16 × 0.1.0, nine teeth in the ascending limb and seven teeth in the descending one (fig. 3D). The teeth are typical in shape for Cyerce (e.g. Hamatani (1976) for Cyerce kikutarobabai), and 170 μm in length. The denticles along the cutting edge are paired, with the first denticles at the tip smaller (fig. 3E). Denticles 1-7 increase in size, while denticles 8-10 decrease, and denticle 11 is just a small bump. The teeth are curved along their long axis and fit closely into the next tooth, the denticles leaving indentations in the underlying shaft. In profile, the shaft is shorter and barely narrower than the cusp (fig. 3D, E).