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How does it look like?
It is a small nudibranch that can reach a size of up to 10 millimetres. It is whitish in colour. On its back, apart from the rhinophores and gills, it has five elongated appendages or papillae on each side, one in front of the rhinophores and two behind the gills. The two rhinophores, the four gill blades, the ten papillae and the tail are tipped with yellow, sometimes orange. The rhinophores, which are long, also show lamellae on the posterior side, which do not reach the tip and disappear where the rhinophore turns yellow.
Where does it live?
This species was first described in 2017 at the Azores islands, in the middle of the Atlantic. Subsequently it has also appeared in the Mediterranean. On the Catalan coast, the first records date back to 2021. As for its habitat, it can be found from shallow depths, 4 or 5 metres, and has been observed up to 20m, although a maximum depth is unknown. It lives on algae on rocky bottoms.
How does it feed?
It is not well known what G.picoensis feeds on, but considering its genus, Goniodoridella, it is likely to feed on bryozoans.
How does it reproduce?
Like all nudibranchs, G.picoensis is hermaphroditic, and reproduction takes place in crossbreeding between individuals.
Is a confusion possible?
It could be confused with two species of similar size and colouring such as Dicata odhneri or Tritoniopsis cincta. The lateral papillae in the former and the rhinophores in the latter, however, make Goniodoridella picoensis relatively easy to distinguish.
Curiosities
- The species name ‘picoensis’ refers to the island of Pico in the Azores.
- Initially this nudibranch was described as Okenia picoensis, a name that is no longer considered valid.
- In the Azores, the colouring of this nudibranch is not as white and tends more towards orange.
Taxonomy
Phylum: Mollusca, Class: Gastropoda, Subclass: Heterobranchia, Infraclass: Euthyneura, Subclass: Ringipleura, Order: Nudibranchia, Suborder: Doridina, Superfamily: Onchidoridoidea, Family: Goniodorididae, Genus: Goniodoridella |
