Aglaja? orientalis
Baba, 1949

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific.

PHOTO

Koumac, northern New Caledonia, October 1993. 16mm long alive. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

This rather elongate aglajid has anatomical characters which suggest it is neither a Philinopsis nor an Aglaja. It has been found now from Japan through much of the tropical western Pacific. A similar species occurs in the Indian Ocean and may be just a colour form.

Reference:
• Baba, K. (1949) Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo. 211pp + pls.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 27) Aglaja? orientalis Baba, 1949. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/aglaorie

Related messages


Re: Aglaja? orientalis from nthn Mariana Islands

March 19, 2009
From: Yuji Fujie

Concerning message #22121:

Dear Dr.Bill,
Here are two photos we thought were color variation of Aglaja? orientalis.

Locality: LauLau Beach, 8m, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean, 6 January 2009, under the dead coral. Length: 2 mm. Photographer: Yuji Fujie.

Please tell us your opinion.
Best regards,
Yuji

scuba.element@gmail.com

Yuji Fujie, 2009 (Mar 19) Re: Aglaja? orientalis from nthn Mariana Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22331

Dear Yuji,

At 2 mm in length, it's a bit difficult to be sure. It ceratinly has the general 'look' of Aglaja? orientalis.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Mar 19). Comment on Re: Aglaja? orientalis from nthn Mariana Islands by Yuji Fujie. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22331

Aglaja ? orientalis from Indian Ocean (Reunion Island)

January 8, 2009
From: Hugues Flodrops

Concerning message #9081:

Dear Bill and everyone,
Ho!Ho!Ho! Merry Christmas!
Here is probably Aglaja orientalis. A first observation of this species from Reunion Island. A new present for Christmas with red dress.

Locality: Etang-Salé (Rocky Coast), 1 metre, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, 25 December 2008. Length: 20 mm. Photographer: Hugues Flodrops.

Best regards.
Hugues.

hugues.flodrops@wanadoo.fr

Flodrops, H., 2009 (Jan 8) Aglaja ? orientalis from Indian Ocean (Reunion Island). [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22121

Thanks Hugues,

A nice Christmas Day find. Sorry I didn't get a chance to post your  message closer to the day but I decided I [and my family] needed a 'forum-free' break over Christmas and New Year.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 8). Comment on Aglaja ? orientalis from Indian Ocean (Reunion Island) by Hugues Flodrops. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22121

Aglaja orientalis from South Korea

February 12, 2005
From: Dong Bum Koh


Dear Bill,
Thanks a lot for your comments which are very useful for me. Here are photos of Aglaja orientalis  from Hwa Soon Beach on 6 Nov. 2004.taken by Dong Bum Koh. That was the first time I have ever seen this species.

Occasionally, we have observed this animal at the same site during night diving. 4 days ago, my friend Byung Ro Youn took this photo that looks like the animal is laying eggs. Both photos were taken during night diving.

Locality: Hwa Soon Beach, Jeju Island, South Korea. Depth: 4 m. Sandy bottom with Rock Wall 

Upper Photo: 6 Nov. 2004. Length: 30 mm. Photo: Dong Bum Koh
Lower Photo: 6 Feb. 2005 laying eggs. Photo: Byung Ro Youn

Best regards,
Dong Bum Koh

drkoh@seasee.co.kr

Koh, D.B., 2005 (Feb 12) Aglaja orientalis from South Korea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13130

Dear Koh,
Thanks for these photos. Aglaja orientalis is indeed a strange looking aglajid. In the lower photo, the animal is laying eggs as you thought. I have often seen aglajids at this stage of making their egg mass with the egg string apparently wrapped around the head.

Since the egg ribbon is extruded from the common genital opening at the posterior end of the body I am not sure how the egg string gets to the front end of the body and ends up in a coil around the head. One of life's little mysteries.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Feb 12). Comment on Aglaja orientalis from South Korea by Dong Bum Koh. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13130

Aglaja? orientalis from South Africa

February 14, 2003
From: Valda Fraser


Dear Bill,
What can you come up with?

Locality: Pumula, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, tidal pool
Date: December 2002
Size: 15mm

Thanks.
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2003 (Feb 14) Aglaja? orientalis from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9081

Dear Valda,
This is a very dark example of Aglaja? orientalis, much like the one I have photographed in New Caledonia. I don't think it has been recorded from South Africa before, but I did find a specimen in Tanzania in the 1970s
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Feb 14). Comment on Aglaja? orientalis from South Africa by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9081

Aglaja? orientalis from Japan.

January 9, 2003
From: Jun Imamoto

Dear Bill,
I would like to contribute this sea slug, Aglaja? orientalis, which I observed in 2002 to the Forum. I hope these records will be useful for your research.

Upper & Lower Left: Echizen, Wakasa Bay, Japan, 10 July 2002, approx: 20mm long, depth: 4 m, temperature: 23 C. Photos: Jun Imamoto. This sea slug was found on seaweed covered rock.
Lower Right: Futou Osezaki, Suruga bay, Japan, 27 July 2002, approx: 27mm long, depth: 2 m, temperature: 26 C. Photo: Jun Imamoto. These sea slug was found in a hollow under a rock.

Best Regards,
Jun Imamoto
http://umiushi.zive.net/

imamoto@wips.co.jp

Imamoto, J., 2003 (Jan 9) Aglaja? orientalis from Japan.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8843

Dear Jun,
It's nice to get photos of 'oriental' specimens of Aglaja? orientalis. The very distinctive shape of the head, so clearly seen in your photo alongside suggest that this species has a long tubular proboscis as in Philinopsis pilsbryi and Philinopsis lineolata.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jan 9). Comment on Aglaja? orientalis from Japan. by Jun Imamoto. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8843

Aglaja? orientalis from Okinawa

October 27, 1998
From: Bob Bolland

Dear Bill:

I enjoyed your recent addition of aglajids to the Slug Forum; to continue with the thread, here is another image from Okinawa:

Aglaja orientalis  Baba, 1949
Very rare on Okinawa. TL: 16mm, collected from 1.8m / Seragaki, Okinawa. 24 November, 1990

Cheers,
Bob Bolland

bolland@imicom.or.jp

Bolland, R.F., 1998 (Oct 27) Aglaja? orientalis from Okinawa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/281

Bob, Thanks for the image. This species is a very strange one. I started to look at its anatomy some years ago but needed more specimens. Now I have at least one more I might have a look at it... Bill

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Oct 27). Comment on Aglaja? orientalis from Okinawa by Bob Bolland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/281