The brown-dotted nudibranch, Cadlina sp.2, as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of colourful sea slug

Slug

Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

, a dorid

Doridoidea

Doridoidea, commonly known as dorid nudibranchs, are a taxonomic superfamily of medium to large, shell-less sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Doridacea, included in the clade Nudibranchia....

 nudibranch

Nudibranch

A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...

. It is a marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusc in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Cadlinidae

Cadlinidae

Cadlinidae is a family of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Doridoidea. This family is within the clade Euctenidiacea....

.

Distribution

This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast on both sides of the Cape Peninsula intertidally to 30 m. It remained undescribed

Undescribed taxon

In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. Until such a description has been published, the taxon has no formal or...

 by science as at November 2009 and is probably endemic.

Description

The brown-dotted nudibranch is a pale-bodied dorid

Doridoidea

Doridoidea, commonly known as dorid nudibranchs, are a taxonomic superfamily of medium to large, shell-less sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Doridacea, included in the clade Nudibranchia....

 with scattered brown dots over the notum

Notum

The notum is the dorsal portion of an insect's thoracic segment. It is typically a single large sclerite. It can be further divided into the alinotum which bears the wings and the postnotum which bears the phragma....

. It also has several marginal opaque white spots. It may reach a total length of 25 mm.