Author: (Rudman, 2007)

Order: Nudibranchia  Family: Goniodorididae

Maximum Size: 15 mm

Sightings: Sunshine Coast

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Ceratodoris atkinsonorum (Rudman, 2007)

This species is very similar in external appearance to Ceratodoris hallucigenia and both also feed upon the bryozoan Pleurotoichus clathratus.

Some differentiating features of C. atkinsonorum include:
– Body flatter, lacking the higher profile of C. hallucigenia.
– Body shape more oval than elongate.
– Possesses 5 to 7 lateral pairs of mantle papillae not always arranged in matching pairs (In C. hallucigenia the number is constant as four matching lateral pairs.)
– Papillae tips may be tapered or rounded.
– Head is indistinguishable from foot in dorsal aspect and lacks the distinct oral veil of C. hallucigenia.
– Possesses a V-shaped groove on sole of foot that differentiates foot from head ventrally.

Previously called Okenia atkinsonorum – Change effected 18/12/2023 (Paz-Sedano, Moles, et al, 2023)

David A. Mullins – March 2023

References:
– Rudman, W. B. (2007) Two new species of Okenia (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) from eastern Australia and Tanzania. Zootaxa, 1657: 57–67.

– Paz-Sedano, S., Moles, J., Smirnoff, D., Gosliner, T. M. and Pola, M. (2023). A combined phylogenetic strategy illuminates the evolution of Goniodorididae nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 107990