Goniobranchus alius ( Rudman, 1987 )

Tibiriçá, Yara, Pola, Marta & Cervera, Juan Lucas, 2017, Astonishing diversity revealed: an annotated and illustrated inventory of Nudipleura (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from Mozambique, Zootaxa 4359 (1), pp. 1-133 : 25

Goniobranchus alius ( Rudman, 1987)

( Figure 5 K–L )

Material examined. Ten specimens. MHN-YT10, ZRP, 17 Jun. 2011, 1m, 14mm; MB28-004539, ZRP, 0 6 May 2012, 2m, 14mm, collected by S. Bruck; MB28-004540, ZRP, 0 6 May 2012, 2m, 9mm, collected by S. Bruck; ZMBN117024, ZRP, 0 6 May 2012, 2m, 8mm; ZMBN117058, ZRP, 16 Apr. 2014, 0.5m, 16mm; ZMBN11 7063, POD, 11 May 2014, 15m, 16mm; MB28-004864, 2 spcs., POB, 16m, 6-8mm; MB28-0 0 4983, ZSC, 25 Apr. 2015, 20m, 15mm; MB28-005018, ZRP, 0 4 Aug. 2015, 1m, 16mm.

Habitats. Subtropical tidal reefs and rocky reefs.

Occurrences. Ponta do Ouro and Zavora.

Geographic distribution. Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka ( Yonow 1984), Tanzania, Réunion Island ( Rudman 1987), Madagascar, South Africa (Gosliner et al. 2008) and Mozambique.

Remarks. Specimens show colour variation ranging from a white dorsum with purple mantle edge to a brownish dorsum with light yellow spots inside the purple margin. The latter pattern resembles Goniobranchus aureopurpurus from the West Pacific. Rudman (2005b) suggests that “ G. alius , G. aureopurpureus , G. rufomaculatus and G. albopustulosus ” may be the same species with wide geographic distribution and colour variations.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A, Glossodoris cincta (MB28-004774). B, Glossodoris gregorius (MB28-004428). C, Glossodoris hikuerensis (MB28-004853). D. Glossodoris pallida (MB28-004885). E. Glossodoris sp. 1 (MB28-004642). F, Glossodoris sp. 2 (MB28- 004943). G, Glossodoris sp. 3 (MB28-004861). H, Goniobranchus albonares (MB28-004789). I, Goniobranchus albopunctatus (MB28-004819). J, Goniobranchus cf. alderi (MB28-004446). K–L, Goniobranchus alius (MB28-004540 and MB28-005018, respectively).