Goniobranchus heatherae

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Red-spotted nudibranch
Redspotted nudibranch chromodoris heatherae.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Goniobranchus
Species:
G. heatherae
Binomial name
Goniobranchus heatherae
(Gosliner, 1994) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Chromodoris heatherae Gosliner, 1994 basionym

Goniobranchus heatherae, the red-spotted nudibranch, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. [2] [3]

Contents

Distribution

This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast from the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth, subtidally to 30 m. It is probably endemic. [4]

Description

The red-spotted nudibranch is a white-bodied dorid with a smooth skin and with variably distributed red spots and an opaque white band around the notum. There may also be a yellowish line around the edge of the notum, which is more common in specimens seen towards the eastern part of the distribution. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. It may reach a total length of 50 mm. [5] [6] [7]

Ecology

This species feeds on sponges.

Related Research Articles

<i>Chromodoris</i> Genus of gastropods

Chromodoris is a genus of very colourful sea slugs or dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs, and the type genus of in the family Chromodorididae. Within the genus Chromodoris, there are currently 101 classified species. Species within Chromodoris are commonly found in tropical and subtropical waters, living as members of reef communities and preying primarily on sponges. A molecular phylogeny of the family Chromodorididae resulted in this genus being restricted to a smaller number of species than formerly, most of which have longitudinal black lines on the mantle. Many former members of Chromodoris were transferred to Goniobranchus

<i>Goniobranchus coi</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus geminus</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus geminus, also known as the gem sea slug, is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Goniobranchus hintuanensis</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus hintuanensis is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Goniobranchus annulatus</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus annulatus is a species of sea slug, a very colourful dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

Cape dorid Species of gastropod

The Cape dorid is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Goniobranchus alius</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus conchyliatus</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus daphne</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus lekker</i> Species of gastropod

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

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

<i>Goniobranchus bombayanus</i> Species of gastropod

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

Goniobranchus multimaculosus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. This species was transferred from Chromodoris to Goniobranchus in 2012.

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

<i>Goniobranchus roboi</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus roboi, common name the tooth-edged chromodoris, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. This species was transferred from Chromodoris to Goniobranchus in 2012.

Goniobranchus trimarginatus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Goniobranchus tumuliferus</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus tasmaniensis</i> Species of gastropod

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

<i>Goniobranchus splendidus</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus splendidus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. The specific epithet splendida means splendid in reference to the colouring, because this nudibranch has large red spots on a white background, a yellow line at the mantle edge, and magenta rhinophores.

<i>Goniobranchus pruna</i> Species of gastropod

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

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. 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus heatherae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-03
  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. ↑ Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN   0-930118-13-8
  5. ↑ Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN   0-620-38054-3
  6. ↑ Rudman, W.B., 2000 (July 9) Chromodoris heatherae Gosliner, 1994. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  7. ↑ Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN   978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 164
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