Goniodoris sp. 1 from Kapalai

November 21, 2003
From: Mabel Fang

Dear Bill
Concerning Yukari Sato's message about Goniodoris from Izu, Japan, I found the same species during a day dive at Kapalai, East Malaysia. I wonder if this is the species known as Goniodoris violacea or a colour form of it? The rhinophores appear to be disproportionately large compared to the size of its body. Is this a distinguishing feature of the family?

Even though it was less than 1 cm in length, it was crawling at speed across
a sandy rock patch.
Date: 10 August 2003
Depth: 45 feet

Kind regards
Mabel Fang

barramundi@ooi-online.com

Fang, M., 2003 (Nov 21) Goniodoris sp. 1 from Kapalai. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11291

Dear Mabel,
I am not sure where you got the identification Goniodoris violacea as don't know of any reference apart from Risbec's [Risbec, 1928, 1953]. That species is described as light purple with whitish patches, a purplish border to the mantle and purplish rhinophores. The edge of the foot is also has 'wine coloured' spots. There is also a purplish median ridge down the foot from the mantle to the posterior tip. This is quite different from the white mantle border in your animal and the reddish-yellow border to the foot, and reddish-yellow on the oral tentacles and rhinophores. As far as I know Goniodoris violacea has not been refound since its description from New Caledonia. I suspect the animal named Goniodoris cf. violacea in Marshall & Willan (1999) is the same as your species.

• Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C., 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef.
• Risbec, J. (1928) Contribution a l'étude des nudibranches Néo-Calédoniens. Faune des Colonies Francaises 2(1): 328, pls.1-12.
• Risbec, J. (1953) Mollusques nudibranches de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Faune Union Française Paris, Libraire Larose, 15: 1-189.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Nov 21). Comment on Goniodoris sp. 1 from Kapalai by Mabel Fang. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11291

Factsheet

Goniodoris sp. 1

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