Goniobranchus geminus
| Goniobranchus geminus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Nudipleura clade Nudibranchia |
| Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Goniobranchus |
| Species: | G. geminus |
| Binomial name | |
| Goniobranchus geminus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Chromodoris geminus Rudman, 1987 (basionym) | |
Goniobranchus geminus, also known as the gem sea slug[3] or twin sea slug, is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2]
Taxonomic history
Until 2012 this species was known as Chromodoris geminus but was moved to the genus Goniobranchus as a result of a molecular (DNA) study.[4]
Description
The gem sea slug can reach a maximum size of 5 cm in length.[5] it has four distinctive coloured lines around the mantle edge. Starting from a thin white outer line, then a light grayish line, followed by another white line and finally a bright golden yellow line. The background coloration from the back is light brown to yellowish speckled with mauve ocelli circled with a white margin. The foot, clearer and with a white margin, also has ocelli. The rhinophores are yellow or purple and laminated, gills are white outlined with beige.
Distribution and habitat
This sea slug lives in the Indian Ocean from Kenya to Sri Lanka and in the Red Sea and has a predilection for the external slopes of coral reefs.[5]
Similar species
- Goniobranchus kuniei (Pruvot-Fol, 1930).
- Chromodoris leopardus (Rudman, 1987).
- Risbecia tryoni (Garrett, 1873).
- Chromodoris tritos (Yonow, 1994).
References
- ↑ Rudman W. B. (1987). "The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicuria, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 305-407. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1987.tb01357.x
- 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus geminus. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-03
- ↑ King, Dennis; Fraser, Valda (2014). The Reef Guide: fishes, corals, nudibranchs and other invertebrates (of the) East and South Coasts of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Nature. p. 316. ISBN 9781775840183.
- ↑ Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479.
- 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 22) Chromodoris geminus Rudman, 1987. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Further reading
- Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 164 [
- Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á. (2008) Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and seaslugs. A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Washington, 426 pp. page(s): 220