I am not aware of any records of Gymnodoris subornata outside of Japan. Seven specimens, including those in the photos below, were found at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, between April and August, 1983. All Enewetak specimens but one were found crawling on dead coral or Halmeda algae on lagoon pinnacle reefs at night. A number of specimens have also been found at Kwajalein, both in lagoon algae patches and in reef quarries. Sizes ranged from 4 to 11mm. Although it is not easy to see in the small animals below, they match Baba's (1960) original description pretty well. They have indistinct low minute pustules, particularly around the anterior margin. The radula of the 11mm specimen looked very much like that in Baba's description. Baba noted that the first tooth in each half row was extremely small or missing, and it was indeed missing in the Enewetak animal.
Color of the seven specimens varied from dark orange to lighter orange to yellow.
This specimen found on a Kwajalein Atoll lagoon pinnacle on 12 October 3008 appears to be the same, although the details visible beneath the skin seem a bit different.
Another found on 1 August 2011 in a lagoon Halimeda patch measured 6mm (next two photos).
Specimens found and photographed by Christina Sylvester in January 2016 in the Kwajalein reef quarries were on and appeared to be eating a nudibranch egg mass.
Created 1 January 2007
Updated 16 July 2016