Goniodoris from eastern Australia

March 25, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson

Dear Bill,
We found this tiny nudibranch we haven't seen before. It seems to be a Goniodoris in shape but the nearest we can find on the forum to it is Goniodoris sp.1. In your information you mention Goniodoris violacea but there isn't a fact sheet. We don't have anything in our reference books on Goniodoris violacea but could find something similar in Neville Coleman's 1001 Nudibranchs listed as Goniodoris cf. violacea that was photographed at Port Stephens. The colouration of ours appears to be black and white but we wondered whether given that people tend to see colours slightly differently this might be Goniodoris violacea. What do you think? It was obviously not on a food source since it was moving fast and rearing up as if to sniff the current looking for food or a mate.We thought these series of photos had captured its major external features well. Hope it is of interest thanks as always for your work.

Locality: The Pipeline, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, 5 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific, 11 October 2007, Silty sandy bottom with scattered algae, seaweed, kelp, ascidians, bryozoans, sponges, soft corals and gorgonians. Length: Approximately 5 mm. Photographer: Leanne & David Atkinson.

Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, L. & D., 2008 (Mar 25) Goniodoris from eastern Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21073

Dear Leanne & David,

I am pretty sure your animal is the same as the one I am calling Goniodoris sp. 1 . In the close-up of the head end I have included above I can see yellow spots inside the brown border to the foot which match the yellow submarginal band found in the photos from Japan.

As I discuss in a previous message [#11291] I don't think this fits the original description of Goniodoris violacea at all. That species was described as having a purple border to the mantle. I guess it is possible they are variants of one species, but I can find nothing in colour to really link them other than the white background colour.  I have added a Fact Sheet for G. violacea. AS fra as I know it has not been reported since Risbec's publications.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Mar 25). Comment on Goniodoris from eastern Australia by Leanne & David Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21073

Factsheet

Goniodoris sp. 1

Related messages

  1. Re: Goniodoris from eastern Australia
    From: Sean Kearney, May 7, 2009
  2. Goniodoris sp. 1 from Kapalai
    From: Mabel Fang, November 21, 2003
  3. Goniodoris? from Izu,Japan
    From: Yukari Sato, November 17, 2003

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