Goniobranchus lekker

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

Goniobranchus lekker
The nudibranch Goniobranchus lekker, La Réunion.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Goniobranchus
Species:
G. lekker
Binomial name
Goniobranchus lekker
(Gosliner, 1994)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Chromodoris lekker Gosliner, 1994 (basionym)

Distribution

This species occurs in Natal, South Africa, Madagascar, Réunion and the Seychelles.[4]

Description

Goniobranchus lekker has a complex colour pattern consisting of a translucent white mantle which at the edge grades into opaque white, then light purple with elongated dark purple spots and finally an orange margin. The middle of the back has raised white tubercles which are somewhat clustered into groups. The gill and rhinophores are marked with opaque white. The length of the body varies between 25 mm and 35 mm.[5] There are a number of species with similar colour patterns.[6]

References
  1. Gosliner, T.M. (1994) New species of Chromodoris and Noumea (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) from the western Indian Ocean and southern Africa. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 48(12): 239-252.
  2. Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus lekker. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-05
  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., 2000 (October 15) Chromodoris lekker Gosliner, 1994. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  5. Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 159
  6. 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): 224
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