Cratena pawarshinodeorum

Images taken at Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia

This species is named in honour of Rajendra Pawar and Vishwas Shinde for their dedicated work at the Bombay Natural History Society and their contributions to the collection of nudibranch samples.

This Aeolid measures up to 30 mm long alive, oral tentacles with 1/4 to 1/3 of body length, basally large; rhinophores smooth; up to seven groups of cerata, precardiac group in an arch, postcardiac groups in rows; gonopore below the first group of cerata, anus anterior to the second group of cerata. Body white; lateral foot, oral region and basal 1/4 of the oral tentacles translucent white; pair of large quadrangular reddish orange spots laterally on the head, projected dorsally towards mouth; base of rhinophores translucent white, distal portion reddish orange with white tips; cerata translucent, thin digestive gland varying from dark red to orange in colour, distally dark red; cnidosac oval or triangular, white (Figure 2 C–D). Radula with 30 rachidian teeth (BNHS Opistho 178, 30 mm specimen); teeth base semicircular in shape; triangular elongate central cusp with undistinguished base separation from teeth; central cusp smooth; 6–7 curved lateral cusps, outermost lateral cusp smaller than central and innermost ones; jaw plate roughly ovate, cutting edge projected in a short triangular area, denticulate border with a single row of large quadrangular denticles (Figure 3). Ampulla short and wide; seminal receptacle small; penis elongate, glandular portion undifferentiated or absent (Figure 4B).