Goniobranchus sp. 1

Nithyanandan, Manickam, Al-Kandari, Manal & Mantha, Gopikrishna, 2021, New records of nudibranchs and a cephalaspid from Kuwait, northwestern Arabian Gulf (Mollusca, Heterobranchia), ZooKeys 1048, pp. 91-107 : 91

Goniobranchus sp. 1

Figure 4

Photographic record.

SAASC, Al-Khiran, 23 March 2013, one individual photographed at 3.5 m depth on a rock culvert, R. Dinesh Kumar.

Description.

The individual has a white body with dark purple spots scattered over the dorsum and mantle margin (Fig. 4 ). A row of orange-yellow mantle glands covers the mantle margin. Rhinophores have a white base and bright orange lamellae gradually extending from the anterior surface up to 1/4 of the dorsal side, and the gills are white with a bright orange midrib.

Distribution.

Kuwait (this study) and Abu Dhabi, UAE Coast (http://medslugs.de/E/Ind-NW/Goniobranchus_sp_10/Goniobranchus_sp_10_01.htm)

Remarks.

Very similar to G. kitae ( Gosliner 1994; see below) and G. tumuliferus (Collingwood, 1881) (see Gosliner et al. 2015 and Mehrotra et al. 2021). However, the individual observed in this study differs from both G. kitae and G. tumuliferus by having orange rhinophores with a white base, an orange midrib in the gills, purple spots on the elongated foot, and yellow at the tip of the elongated foot (Fig. 4 ). Probably an undescribed species.

Figures

Figure 4. Goniobranchus sp. 1. Photograph R. Dinesh Kumar.