Goniobranchus cavae

Goniobranchus cavae is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]

Goniobranchus cavae
The nudibranch Goniobranchus cavae, Réunion Island colour form.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Goniobranchus
Species:
G. cavae
Binomial name
Goniobranchus cavae
Eliot, 1904[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Chromodoris cavae Eliot, 1904

Distribution

This species was described from Zanzibar, Tanzania. It has been reported from the NE coast of South Africa, Réunion, Mauritius and India. However the colour pattern is very variable and this may represent a species complex.[4]

Description

The description of the external appearance of the animal by Eliot reads: "Colour yellowish white, with indefinite large drab blotches laterally. Edges of mantle and foot bordered with light violet. On the back are black spots surrounded by a white line and also irregular dull orange spots. The foot is not very broad, white in colour, with a row of dull orange spots and black spots below them. The tip and anterior side of the rhinophores are purple; the lamellae are reduced to fine striations."[4]

Similar species

This species has been confused with Goniobranchus tennentanus but differs in having yellow spots all over the mantle, whilst in G. tennentanus these spots are only within the cream band at the edge.[4]

References
  1. Eliot, 1904. On some nudibranchs from east Africa and Zanzibar. Part IV. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1:380-406, pls. 23-24.
  2. Bouchet, P. (2015). Goniobranchus cavae (Eliot, 1904). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-11-14
  3. 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
  4. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (November 12) Chromodoris cavae (Eliot, 1904). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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