Goniobranchus annulatus

Goniobranchus annulatus is a species of sea slug, a very colourful dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]

Goniobranchus annulatus
Goniobranchus annulatus off the coast of Dubai, UAE
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Goniobranchus
Species:
G. annulatus
Binomial name
Goniobranchus annulatus
(Eliot, 1904[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Chromodoris annulata Eliot, 1904 (basionym)
  • Glossodoris annulata (Eliot, 1904)

Description

Goniobranchus annulatus is a large smooth pale-bodied nudibranch with many vivid yellow spots, though these may be absent in some individuals. It has one purple ring around the gills and another ring around the rhinophores. The mantle usually has a purple border. It may grow to 100mm in total length.[4] The gills are triangular in cross-section.[5][6][7][8]

Distribution

This nudibranch was described from Zanzibar. It occurs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, from the East Coast of South Africa to Thailand.[9] It is a Lessepsian migrant and has recently invaded the Mediterranean Sea, presumably through the Suez Canal.[10][11]

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References
  1. Eliot, 1904. On some nudibranchs from east Africa and Zanzibar. Part IV. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1:380-406, pls. 23-24. Plate XXIV
  2. Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus annulatus. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-04-22
  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. King, D. & Fraser, V. 2001. More Reef Fishes and Nudibranchs Struik, Cape Town. ISBN 1-86872-686-X
  5. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (April 11) Chromodoris annulata Eliot, 1904. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  6. Rudman W.B. (1987) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicuria, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 305-407 page(s): 367
  7. Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 145
  8. Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á. (2008) Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and seaslugs. A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Washington, 426 pp. page(s): 218
  9. Gosliner, T. 1998. Goniobranchus annulatus. At: Miller, M. (1998) The Slug Site.
  10. Pasternak G., Ziv R., Eyal G., Shefer S., Mienis H.K., Rittner O. & Gali B.S. (2011) On the population of Chromodoris annulata Eliot, 1904 (Mollusca: Opistobranchia: Chromodorididae) off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Aquatic Invasions 6 (suppl. 1): S91-S93
  11. Daskos A. & Zenetos A., 2007. Additions to the knowledge of alien Opisthobranchia of Greece. Aquatic Invasions 2(3): 258-260]
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