Goniobranchus tumuliferus is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.Bouchet, P. (2012). Goniobranchus tumuliferus. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-05-07
Distribution This species was described from Slut Island, Haitan Straits, China. Additional specimens were found by Collingwood at Labuan, Borneo. It has been reported from Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong,Rudman W.B. & Darvell B.W. (1990) Opisthobranch molluscs of Hong Kong: Part 1. Goniodorididae, Onchidorididae, Triophidae, Gymnodorididae, Chromodorididae (Nudibranchia). Asian Marine Biology 7: 31-79. page(s): 56 Indonesia, Fiji and New Caledonia.Rudman, W.B., 1999 (May 21) Chromodoris tumulifera Collingwood, 1881. [In]Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Description Chromodoris tumuliferus is a chromodorid nudibranch with a translucent white mantle and large, carmine-red spots.Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. page(s): 159 There is a submarginal line at edge of the mantle which is yellow, either continuous or broken into yellow blotches, with a translucent or white extreme edge. In this outer margin there may be more red blotches or an almost continuous red margin.Gosliner, 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): 227 The wide distribution and variable colour pattern suggest a possible species complex.Rudman W.B. (1983) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris splendida, C. aspersa and Hypselodoris placida colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 78: 105-173. page(s): 117 This species was transferred from Chromodoris to Goniobranchus on molecular (DNA) evidence.Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479 It is very similar in appearance to Goniobranchus kitae but that species has small white spots on the gills and rhinophores.Gosliner, T., 2002 (Feb 15) Chromodoris kitae from Madagascar. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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