Goniobranchus rufomaculatus

Goniobranchus rufomaculatus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.^[2][3]

Goniobranchus rufomaculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Nudibranchia
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Goniobranchus
Species:	G. rufomaculatus
Binomial name
Goniobranchus rufomaculatus (Pease, 1871)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Chromodoris histrio Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871 (basionym) Glossodoris rufomaculata (Pease, 1871)

Distribution

This species was described from Huahine, Society Islands.^[1] It has been reported from the Marshall Islands, Queensland and the Philippines.^[4]

Description

The original description included the following colour information: "Colour cream white, passing into cream yellow towards the margins, which are ornamented with a series of oblong violet spots. The central portion of the mantle is studded with numerous slightly elevated orange dots. Branchiae colourless, tentacles chocolate brown, laminae white. Under surface colourless, with the exception of a light tinge of the dorsal colours, which are transmitted through the pellucid mantle."^[1][5][6][7]

Similar species

This species may be conspecific with Goniobranchus albopustulosus. It is similar in colour to the Indian Ocean species Goniobranchus alius and Goniobranchus aureopurpureus from the central Indo-West-Pacific region.^[4]