Goniobranchus geminus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Suborder: | Doridina |
Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
Family: | Chromodorididae |
Genus: | Goniobranchus |
Species: | G. geminus
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Binomial name | |
Goniobranchus geminus | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Goniobranchus geminus, also known as the gem sea slug,[3] is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[2]
Until 2012 this species was known as Chromodoris geminus but was moved to the genus Goniobranchus as a result of a molecular (DNA) study.[4]
Goniobranchus geminus can reach a maximum size of 5 cm in length.[5] It has four distinctive coloured lines around the mantle edge. Starting from a thin white outer line, then a light grayish line, followed by another white line and finally a bright golden yellow line.[6] The background coloration from the back is light brown to yellowish speckled with mauve ocelli circled with a white margin. The foot, clearer and with a white margin, also has ocelli. The rhinophores are yellow or purple and laminated, gills are white outlined with beige.[7]
This sea slug lives in the Indian Ocean from Kenya to Sri Lanka and in the Red Sea and has a predilection for the external slopes of coral reefs.[5]