Aglaja ocelligera ? from Puget Sound

July 10, 2008
From: David Jamison

Here is a photo of a Aglaja ocelligera from a sandy beach in southern Puget Sound near Olympia, Washington, U.S.A. and what appears to be it's egg case.

The egg cases in the photo were in large numbers scattered over the sand flat at around the 0.0 to -2.0 tide level.

Several weeks ago the animal was common on the surface but a beach walk yesterday did not turn up any individuals. However the egg cases were still present. However many were starting to turn a dark brown and to fall apart. Under a 40x scope the individual eggs were is long rows and several thousand were in each case.

Is there agreement that this is A ocelligera and that these are it's egg cases?

Locality: Tolmie State Park beach, Intertidal, Washington, USA, Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, 4 April 2008 and 8 May 2008, Intertidal. Length: animal - 15 mm: egg case 31 mm. Photographer: David Jamison.

David Jamison

dwjamison@comcast.net

Jamison, D.W., 2008 (Jul 10) Aglaja ocelligera ? from Puget Sound. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21565

Dear David,

Yes, indeed these are the egg masses of A. ocelligera. Interesting that you mention fluctuation in the population. I have been trying to collect a bunch to determine what they feed on, but just north of you in the Gig Harbor area I can't find a single individual.

Thanks for sharing this,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2008 (Jul 10). Comment on Aglaja ocelligera ? from Puget Sound by David Jamison. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21565

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Aglaja ocelligera

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