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2026 · Photo: Boaz Liebes
Philippines · Indo Pacific - South China Sea
A large, showy Goniobranchus named after Kunié, the Kanak name for the Île des Pins in New Caledonia, where it was first collected. It has a wide mantle skirt whose whole edge it raises and lowers together in a characteristic waving motion. It belongs to Rudman's 'Risbecia tryoni colour group' of purple-spotted chromodorids.
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Cream to ochre or brownish mantle, often with a reticulate pattern, scattered with large purple spots each ringed in white. Mantle edge has a broad violet border made of three slightly different-coloured bands. Rhinophores and gills violet.
Hypselodoris tryoni has only a narrow purple line at the edge, a high body and little mantle overlap. Goniobranchus leopardus has leopard-like clusters of marks forming hollow squares and a narrow border. G. geminus has four colour bands on the edge (white, greyish-purple, white, yellow).
Coral reefs; recorded from shallow water to at least 20 m.
Sponges (feeding records from the field).
