Pelagella joubini (Risbec, 1928)
Pelagella joubini is a small dorid nudibranch widely distributed in the western and central Pacific.
Description
Reaching about 12 mm in length. The body is dark brown, with yellow patches on the dorsum and orange-yellow spots along the mantle edge in the colour pattern given by Risbec 1928. Individuals often bear scattered white or yellowish-white dots over the body, and the species is characterised by orangish patches on the dorsum that distinguish it from related Pelagella species. The mantle edge is raised and frequently appears decoloured or whitish. The rhinophores match the body colour and bear small papillae near the apex. The branchial plume is the same colour as the body or, in some specimens, decoloured.Distribution
Type locality: New Caledonia. Widely distributed across the Indo-West Pacific and into the central Pacific, with records from the Red Sea, Madagascar, New Caledonia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, the Marshall Islands and the Hawaiian Islands. Paz-Sedano et al. 2023 included specimens from Maui, Hawaii (USA) in their molecular phylogenetic analyses.Etymology
The specific epithet joubini honours the French zoologist Louis Joubin (1861–1935).Remarks
Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses, Paz-Sedano et al. 2023 resurrected Pelagella Gray, 1850 from synonymy with Goniodoris and transferred this species, yielding the new combination Pelagella joubini. In the same study, Pelagella scottjohnsoni (Marshall Islands and the Philippines) was described as the sister species of P. joubini. Goniodoris glabra Baba, 1937 is treated as a junior synonym.References
- Goniodoris Joubini, Risbec J. (1928). Contribution à l'étude des nudibranches néo-calédoniens. Faune des Colonies françaises, Tome II: 1-328, 12 pls. (Société d'Éditions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales, Paris). [doctoral thesis monograph]
- Goniodoris glabra nov. sp., Baba K. (1937). Opisthobranchia Of Japan (II). Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University. 5(7): 289-344. https://doi.org/10.5109/22586
- コネコウミウシ（新稱）, Baba K. (1949). Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay collected by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan (相模湾産後鰓類図譜). Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo. 4+2+194+7 pp., pls. 1-50.
- Goniodoris glabra Baba Koneko-umiushi, Baba, K. 1957. A revised list of the species of Opisthobranchia from the northern part of Japan, with some additional descriptions. J. Fac. Sci., Hokkaido Univ.,ser. 6, Zool. 13(1-4):8-14.
- コネコウミウシ, 鈴木敬宇. (2000). ウミウシガイドブック〈2〉. TBSブリタニカ.
- 高岡生物研究会. (2002). 日本海のウミウシ. 第2版.
- コネコウミウシ, 中野理枝. (2004). 本州のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
- コネコウミウシ, 小野篤司. (2004). 沖縄のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
- Paz-Sedano S., Smirnoff D., Gosliner T.M. & Pola M. (2023). When a genus must become two: resurrection of Pelagella Gray, 1850 with the description of six new species. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 89(2): eyad008. https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyad008
- Paz-Sedano S., Moles J., Smirnoff D., Gosliner T.M. & Pola M. (2024). A combined phylogenetic strategy illuminates the evolution of Goniodorididae nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 192: 107990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107990
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Kimoto N. (2026). Sea Slugs of Japan & the Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition.
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Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.