Goniobranchus leopardus | |
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The nudibranch Goniobranchus leopardus, facing the camera. | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Suborder: | Doridina |
Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
Family: | Chromodorididae |
Genus: | Goniobranchus |
Species: | G. leopardus
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Binomial name | |
Goniobranchus leopardus | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Goniobranchus leopardus, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]
This species has been reported from NW Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.[4][5]
Goniobranchus leopardus can reach a maximum size of 6 cm length.[4] The body is elongate with a foot which is distinct from the upper body by a large skirt-like mantle hiding the foot.[6] The top of the mantle is brownish with dark spots circled with white. The margin of the mantle is white with at the external border a fine purple to electric blue line.[7] The rhinophores are lamellate and contractile, the base is white topped with blue to purple but they can also be white with a longitudinal blue to purple line. The branched gill has a whitish external side, the internal surface is golden.[8][9][10][11]