Goniobranchus coi

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

Goniobranchus coi
Goniobranchus coi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Goniobranchus
Species:
G. coi
Binomial name
Goniobranchus coi
(Risbec, 1956)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Chromodoris coi (Risbec, 1956)
  • Glossodoris coi Risbec, 1956 (basionym)

Distribution

This species was described from Vietnam. It occurs in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean from Australia to the Philippines[4] and rarely as far East as the Marshall Islands.[5]

Description

Goniobranchus coi has a white body and foot, but is instantly recognizable by its distinct dorsal pattern. The outer part of the mantle is yellow, separated from the inner light-brown part by a wavy white and black line. The outer edge of the mantle is brown, with a thin purple line at the margin. The gills and rhinophores range in colour between different individuals from translucent white, through pale-yellow and light-brown. This species reaches at least 50 mm in length.[6][7][8]

  • A close up of the rhinophores of G. coi
  • Goniobranchus coi

Ecology

Like most sea slugs in the superfamily Doridoidea, Goniobranchus coi feeds on sponges. It has been seen feeding on the sponge Chelonaplysilla violacea.[9][5]

References
  1. Risbec, J. 1956. Nudibranches du Viet-Nam. Archives du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris, series 7, 4:1-34, pls. 1-22.
  2. Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus coi. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-01
  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 (October 17) Chromodoris coi (Risbec, 1956). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  5. Scott Johnson (2015) Goniobranchus coi. [In] Underwater Kwajalein
  6. 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. page(s): 395
  7. Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 143
  8. 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): 215
  9. Lau, A, 2005 (Dec 15) Chromodoris coi & sponges. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.


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