Goniobranchus sp. e763
20mm

Goniobranchus sp. e763 is known at Kwajalein from a single small, 15-20mm specimen found under a rock on the lagoon's east reef at a depth of about 7m on 16 February 2016. We have seen numerous larger specimens on trips to Indonesia and the Philippines, but this appears to be a first for the Marshalls. We suspect that the prolonged west winds accompanying a strong El Niño during the summer and fall of 2015 may have brought in several waves of planktonic larvae, including a number of species we have not encountered here before. Until recently known as Goniobranchus reticulatus, recent DNA evidence by Soong, et al (2020) now indicates it is likely undescribed.

Created 1 March 2016
Updated 18 October 2021

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