Goniobranchus leopardus
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Goniobranchus leopardus, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]
| Goniobranchus leopardus | |
|---|---|
| |
| The nudibranch Goniobranchus leopardus, facing the camera. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Goniobranchus |
| Species: | G. leopardus |
| Binomial name | |
| Goniobranchus leopardus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Distribution
This species has been reported from NW Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.[4][5]
Description
Goniobranchus leopardus can reach a maximum size of 6 cm length.[4] The body is elongate with a foot which is distinct from the upper body by a large skirt-like mantle hiding the foot.[6] The top of the mantle is brownish with dark spots circled with white. The margin of the mantle is white with at the external border a fine purple to electric blue line.[7] The rhinophores are lamellate and contractile, the base is white topped with blue to purple but they can also be white with a longitudinal blue to purple line. The branched gill has a whitish external side, the internal surface is golden.[8][9][10][11]
