Melanochlamys ezoensis

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: PHILINOIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from northern Japan

PHOTO

Baba, 1937 - Aglaja ezoensis fig. 3.

NOTE: This is considered a synonym of M. diomedea - see message #13694].

Aglaja ezoensis was described from a single specimen collected at Akkeshi, nthn Japan. I placed this in the genus Melanochlamys because of its external shape (Rudman, 1972). The full description (Baba, 1957: 16) is:

"Very small, about 15 mm long, the form as usual and elongate-ocal, the posterior lobes of the mantle shield subequal in size. General ground-colour ashy yellow, but it is almost evrywhere (excepting the foremost region of the head and the free posterior margin of the two shields) covered with small irregular, blackish brown speckles. The sole as above. Without radula.Possibly this is a new species of the genus Aglaja, having a unique coloration of the body."

•  Baba, K. (1957) A revised list of the species of Opisthobranchia from the northern part of Japan, with some additional descriptions. Journal Faculty Science, Hokkaido Imperial University, series 6, Zoology, 13(1-4): 8-14.
• Rudman, W.B. (1972) On Melanochlamys Cheeseman, 1881, a genus of the Aglajidae (Opisthobranchia: Gastropoda). Pacific Science, 26(1): 50-62, 8 figs.

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010