Chelidonura inornata

Mariaglaja inornata, also called the inornate headshield slug, is a species of sea slug or headshield slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae.

Mariaglaja inornata
Mariaglaja inornata on a coral
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Euopisthobranchia

clade Cephalaspidea
Superfamily:
Philinoidea
Family:
Aglajidae
Genus:
Mariaglaja
Species:
M. inornata
Binomial name
M. inornata
(Baba, 1949)[1]

Description

The general body colour is a purplish black, with minute white dots densely scattered over the outer surface of the parapodia and on the sole of the foot. The parapodia are also edged in white, sometimes with a continuous white line but often with a broken line. There is usually a broad white band across the front of the head-shield, and there is a yellow or orange edge to the antero-lateral lobes. The eyes are situated on the inside edge of the lateral lobes, in a translucent area devoid of black pigment. The patch often appears blue.[2]

Classification

Originally described in the genus Chelidonura, this species is now placed in the genus Mariaglaja based on molecular phylogenetic results.[3]

Distribution
Mariaglaja inornata

Mariaglaja inornata is found in the tropical Western Pacific from Japan to eastern Australia.[2]

References
  1. Baba K. (1949). "Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay". Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo. 211 pp. + pls.
  2. Mariaglaja inornata
  3. Zamora-Silva, A. & M. A. E. Malaquias. 2017. Molecular phylogeny of the Aglajidae head-shield sea slugs (Heterobranchia: Cephalaspidea): new evolutionary lineages revealed and proposal of a new classification. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 2017, XX, 1–51.
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