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
(Rudman, 1987à[1]
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. Th 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

References

  1. 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
  2. 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus geminus. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-03
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 22) Chromodoris geminus Rudman, 1987. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

Further reading


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