Research Article |
Corresponding author: Manickam Nithyanandan ( nandan.ocean@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Nathalie Yonow
© 2021 Manickam Nithyanandan, Manal Al-Kandari, Gopikrishna Mantha.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Nithyanandan M, Al-Kandari M, Mantha G (2021) New records of nudibranchs and a cephalaspid from Kuwait, northwestern Arabian Gulf (Mollusca, Heterobranchia). ZooKeys 1048: 91-107. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1048.66250
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In this study five new records and two probably undescribed species of heterobranch sea slugs placed in four genera, three families, and two orders are reported from Kuwait, northwestern Arabian / Persian Gulf with details and photographs. The present study increases the heterobranch diversity in Kuwaiti waters from 35 to 40 species. The range of habitats in Kuwait provides a vital opportunity for further investigation to understand the actual faunal diversity.
Nudibranchs, diving, intertidal, Kuwait, Arabian Gulf
Heterobranch sea slugs are one of the most colourful marine invertebrates, usually devoid of shells but in a few species, it is found externally and internally (e.g., Cephalaspidea, Aplysiida, Pleurobranchida), occurring in reefs, rocky habitats, and soft substrata (
The heterobranch fauna of APG are rather poorly documented with sporadic reports from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran (
The Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City (SAASC) is the largest coastal township development in Kuwait (
Super Order EUOPISTHOBRANCHIA Jörger, Stöger, Kano, Fukuda, Knebelsberger & Schrödl, 2010
Order CEPHALASPIDEA P. Fischer, 1883
Family AGLAJIDAE Pilsbry, 1895 (1847)
Aglaja cyanea
(nigra):
Chelidonura africana:
Chelidonura livida
Yonow, 1994a: 141–147, Fig.
SAASC Al-Khiran, 13 June 2012, one individual photographed at 3 m depth in sandy substrate, R. Dinesh Kumar.
The individual has a black body colour, prominent electric blue spots scattered over the dorsum, head, and parapodia (Fig.
Israel (
Order Nudibranchia Cuvier, 1817
Family Chromodorididae Bergh, 1891
Glossodoris bombayana Winckworth, 1946: 155–156, fig. 1 (Bombay, India).
Goniobranchus naiki
Valdés, Mollo & Ortea, 1999: 468–471, fig. 1 (Mandapam, southern India);
SAASC, Al-Khiran, 23 March 2013, one individual photographed at 5 m depth on a concrete wall adjacent to tidal gates, Don Christopher Pereira.
The individual photographed has a translucent white body with conspicuous deep purple spots scattered over the dorsum (Fig.
Known only from Mandapam, southern India (
SAASC, Al-Khiran, 23 March 2013, one individual photographed at 3.5 m depth on a rock culvert, R. Dinesh Kumar.
The individual has a white body with dark purple spots scattered over the dorsum and mantle margin (Fig.
Kuwait (this study) and Abu Dhabi, UAE Coast (http://medslugs.de/E/Ind-NW/Goniobranchus_sp_10/Goniobranchus_sp_10_01.htm)
Very similar to G. kitae (
Failaka Island, 22 December 2014, one individual found in rocks in sandy mud intertidal areas at the lowest tide mark, Dr. Valeriy Skryabin.
The individual has a white translucent body with dark red / purple spots scattered over the dorsum; a few of the dark red / purple spots have a tubercle-like projection in the middle giving a conical impression (Fig.
Kuwait (this study).
The individual recorded has a submarginal ring of translucent white glands just inside the prominent bright orange band similar to G. tumuliferus (Collingwood, 1881; see also
Doris infucata Rüppell & Leuckart, 1828–1830: tab X, 34, fig. 3 (northern African Red Sea).
SAASC, Al Khiran, 2 July 2013, two individuals photographed at 3 m depth on a rock culvert, R. Dinesh Kumar.
The two individuals in the photographs have a slender white body with blue, yellow, and black spots scattered all over. At the mantle margin, triangular dark blue-green and pale blue patches alternate (Fig.
Indo-West Pacific species and a Lessepsian migrant (
This species exhibits a high degree of variability in colour pattern and the bright yellow spots observed in the individual during the present study was similar to a specimen recorded from Eilat, northern Red Sea (
SAASC, Al-Khiran, 23 March 2013, one individual on an unidentified sponge photographed at 3.5 m depth, R. Dinesh Kumar.
The individual photographed has a bluish grey body with yellow and black spots. The margin of the mantle is thin; yellow and black spots extend onto the foot. A prominent row of black blotches is present on the either side of the dorsum. Rhinophores are tipped red-orange, with a translucent white base (Fig.
Kuwait (this study).
The individual in this study has similarities in colour pattern with two recently described species, H. confetti (Johnson & Gosliner in
Genus Caloria Trinchese, 1888
Learchis indica Bergh, 1896: 385–394, figs 1–4 (Ambon, Indonesia).
SAASC, Al-Khiran, 18 November 2014, one individual on sand and rock mixed substratum photographed at 3.5 m depth, Don Christopher Pereira.
The body is slender, translucent white, with a marking of white lines on the dorsum up to the rhinophores. Orange markings are prominent on the anterior part in front of the cerata and along the sides between the cerata. The rhinophores are smooth, white in colour, orange at the base with a prominent orange band at the middle. The oral tentacles also appear white, long, and slender, with basal orange markings. The cerata are fusiform with white, brown, and blue bands and a translucent white tip. The tail is white, long, and pointed.
Indo-West and Central Pacific, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Tanzania (
Kuwait’s rich and unique marine biodiversity is poorly documented and more co-ordinated biodiversity assessments for sustainable management are essential (e.g.,
In this study five new records of heterobranch sea slugs to Kuwait and the APG and two potentially new species are reported. Furthermore, this study increases the total number of heterobranch fauna of Kuwait to 40 species, which is 28% of the number reported from both the APG and Gulf of Oman (
The occurrence of diverse habitats such as sand, mud flats, rocks, coral reefs, seagrass beds, etc. provides many more opportunities to examine and expand knowledge of the heterobranch diversity in Kuwaiti waters. Harsh environmental conditions in the APG waters of Kuwait potentially governs the impoverished biodiversity of marine biota. Extensive coastal development in the Arabian Peninsula with wide range of artificial marine substrates such as breakwaters, jetties etc. serves as viable benthic habitats attracting colonisation of marine biota (
Historically in Kuwaiti waters efforts were only laid to understand the diversity of heterobranchs (
MN is thankful to La Ala Al Kuwait Real Estate Co. K.S.C. for the diving and logistic facilities provided during the field work in Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City, Al-Khiran, Kuwait, and to the divers Dinesh Kumar Raja and Don Christopher Pereira for their underwater photographs of heterobranchs. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Nathalie Yonow, University of Swansea, UK, for confirming the identification of heterobranchs reported in this study and her valuable comments. MAK is grateful to Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research for their financial assistance through a project (FM075C) to conduct the intertidal surveys in Failaka Island, where Goniobranchus sp. 2 was recorded. We also extend our thanks to Mr. Yusuf Bohadi, Kuwait University, for his assistance in preparing the map (Fig.