Goniobranchus geometricus

{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Chromodoris geometrica.jpg

| image_caption = Goniobranchus geometricus

| genus = Goniobranchus

| species = geometricus

| authority =( Risbec, 1928)Risbec, J. (1928). Contribution à l'étude des Nudibranches néo-calédoniens. Faune des Colonies Françaises. 2(1):1-328, figs. 1-98, pls. 1-12, maps.

| synonyms_ref=

| synonyms= {{species list |Chromodoris geometrica| Risbec, 1928 (basionym) }}

}}

Goniobranchus geometricus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.Bouchet, P. (2012). [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=597336 Goniobranchus geometricus.] Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-03Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) [http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033479 Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs.] PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479

Image:Chromodoris geometrica 1.jpg

Distribution

This species was described from New Caledonia. It is found throughout the Indian Ocean as well as the Western Pacific Ocean from the intertidal down to {{cvt|30|m}}.Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 15) [http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chrogeom Chromodoris geometrica Risbec, 1928.] [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

Description

Goniobranchus geometricus is a small nudibranch which may grow to a total length of 35mm. It is variably coloured, with the ground colour ranging from a creamy brown to purple, The mantle has numerous cream-coloured bumps and has a white margin. The gills and rhinophores are white to greenish.King, D. & Fraser, V. 2001. More Reef Fishes and Nudibranchs Struik, Cape Town. {{ISBN|1-86872-686-X}} It is very similar to Goniobranchus conchyliatus but has green-grey rhinophores and gills whilst G. conchyliatus has red ones.Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. {{ISBN|978-3-939767-06-0}} page(s): 164Gosliner, 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): 220

Ecology

This animal feeds on the sponge Chelonaplysilla violacea.Rudman, W. B. & Bergquist, P. R. (2007) A review of feeding specificity in the sponge-feeding Chromodorididae (Nudibranchia: Mollusca). Molluscan Research, 27(2): 60-88

References

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