OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Aglaja orientalis Baba, 1949 (26mm)
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
- Family: Aglajidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #2385
- Location: Onna Flats, South end, 2.5 km SW Onna Village,
Okinawa. (26o28.4'N, 127o50.8'E) [Seragaki]
- Date: 25 May, 1990 [25 May '90, 24 Nov. '90, 27 May '92]
- Depth: 3ft (0.9m) [3ft, 5ft, 6ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: Not recorded
- Size: TL 26mm [16mm, 18mm, 26mm]
- Specimen deposited: California Academy of Sciences
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Aglaja orientalis is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as I have seen and collected a total of only three individuals over a period of a good many years of diving here. The featured animal was found while snorkeling during a low spring tide
excursion and was found crawling on the surface of mixed silty-sand and coral rubble. All three of the collected specimens came from six feet or less of water.
Copyright © 1999 Robert F. Bolland
Digitally manipulated photo
