Godiva sp. 1

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Glaucidae

PHOTO

intertidal zone, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. 12mm in length. Photo: Scott Johnson

This species has similarities to Godiva rachelae. See Scott Johnson's message below.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (February 14) Godiva sp. 1 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/godisp1

Related messages


Godiva? from the Marshall Islands

February 15, 2002
From: Scott Johnson

Hi Bill,
These animals were found under rocks in the intertidal zone at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. They measured about 12mm in length. I know the scans are not especially clear, but can you tell what they might be? I have a comment with my collection notes that the animal has some resemblance to your Godiva rachelae, but I stopped short of actually calling it that. Is it close?

Scott

johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu

Johnson, S., 2002 (Feb 15) Godiva? from the Marshall Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4173

Dear Scott,
It certainly has the look of G. rachelae with the two translucent bands on the oral tentacles and the orange lines on the head and body, but there is no blue band on the cerata in that species. I at first thought the annuli on the rhinophores of your animal wa another difference but I note that one of my animals had annuli while the others were smooth.

Basically I don't think we know enough about colour variation in these animals to say whether thse are colour variants or different species. I have prepared a page on Godiva rachelae for comparison. At the moment I think I'll leave your animal as Godiva sp. 1.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, w.B., 2002 (Feb 15). Comment on Godiva? from the Marshall Islands by Scott Johnson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4173