A New Species of Predatory Nudibranch (Gastropoda: Trinchesiidae) of the Coral Pavona decussata

Nudibranch in the genus Phestilla are usually predators of hard corals, but their diversity may have been underestimated and their impact on coral health is unknown. Hu et al. (2020) described Phestilla goniophaga sp. nov., the first named predatory nudibranch species of the flowerpot coral genus Goniopora. The new species is characterized by a large number of long cerata, a white rounded hump on the notum, and bright orange egg masses forming a coiled ribbon. Given its association with the common coral genus Goniopora, this nudibranch is expected to be widely distributed in the West Pacific.

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