Goniodoris violacea
Risbec, 1928

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Goniodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from New Caledonia

PHOTO

From Risbec, 1928: Pl.7, fig.5 - as Chromodoris violacea.

This translucent violet species with a darker violet border should be easily recognisable. It was recorded by Risbec (1928, 1953) from New Caledonia, but has not been rediscovered either there or elsewhere in the Indo-West Pacific.

It was described as light purple with whitish patches and with a purplish border to the mantle and purplish rhinophores. The edge of the foot was described as having 'wine coloured' spots. There was also a purplish median ridge down the foot from the mantle to the posterior tip. 

 I suspect the animal named Goniodoris cf. violacea in Marshall & Willan (1999) is what I am calling Goniodoris sp. 1.

  • 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.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2008 (March 21) Goniodoris violacea Risbec, 1928. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/goniviol