Goniobranchus setoensis
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Goniobranchus setoensis is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
| Goniobranchus setoensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| The nudibranch Goniobranchus setoensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Goniobranchus |
| Species: | G. setoensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Goniobranchus setoensis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Taxonomic history
This species was known as Chromodoris setoensis for many years before it was transferred to the genus Goniobranchus on the basis of molecular (DNA) evidence in 2012.[3]
Distribution
This species was described from Japan.[1] It has been confused with Goniobranchus decorus and many records of G. decorus are in fact misidentifications. It occurs in the central Indo-Pacific region from Japan to Sri Lanka, and as far east as the Marshall Islands and Kiribati. The two species are sympatric in the Marshall Islands.[4][5]
Description
The body of this chromodorid nudibranch is translucent white with opaque white lines, purple spots and a sub-surface margin of orange-red. There is usually a white line around the centre of the back and a line running from between the rhinophores to the middle of the back where it divides to pass around the gills in a loop. Outside the outer white line is a row or double row of purple spots which never have a halo of white around them. There are small white spots along the mantle edge. The tips of the rhinophores and the outer part of the gills is white.[5]
Ecology
Goniobranchus setoensis feeds on sponges of the family Aplysillidae.