Goniobranchus setoensis

Goniobranchus setoensis
	The nudibranch Goniobranchus setoensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Heterobranchia
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Doridina
Superfamily:	Doridoidea
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Goniobranchus
Species:	G. setoensis
Binomial name
	Goniobranchus setoensis; (Baba, 1938)[1]
Synonyms[2]
	Glossodoris setoensis Baba, 1938 (original combination) ; Chromodoris setoensis (Baba, 1938) ;

Goniobranchus setoensis is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

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.

References

Baba, K. 1938. Opisthobranchia of Kii, middle Japan. Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Kyushu Imperial University 6(1):1-19.
Bouchet, P. (2014). Goniobranchus setoensis (Baba, 1938). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2014-11-27
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.
Scott Johnson, 2015. Goniobranchus decorus (Pease, 1860). [in] Underwater Kwajalein.
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (September 13) Chromodoris decora (Pease, 1860). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. (Description includes both G. decorus and G. setoensis)

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[baba-1] Baba, K. 1938. Opisthobranchia of Kii, middle Japan. Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Kyushu Imperial University 6(1):1-19.

[WoRMS-2] Bouchet, P. (2014). Goniobranchus setoensis (Baba, 1938). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2014-11-27

[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.

[johnson-4] Scott Johnson, 2015. Goniobranchus decorus (Pease, 1860). [in] Underwater Kwajalein.

[ssf-5] Rudman, W.B., 2007 (September 13) Chromodoris decora (Pease, 1860). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. (Description includes both G. decorus and G. setoensis)