Chelidonura tsurugensis
Baba & Abe, 1959

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Described from Japan, it is possibly widely distributed in the tropical West Pacific and also the Indian Ocean.

PHOTO

Collected from 3m, Seragaki, Okinawa. July, 1991. Length 16mm. (Very rare on Okinawa). PHOTO: Bob Bolland.

This small species, 15-20mm long alive, appears to be widely distributed in the western Pacific, being quite common on sand flats on the Great Barrier Reef. It has also been recently reported from Western Australia (Wells & Bryce, 1993. Sea Slugs of Western Australia).

It is also possible that Chelidonura sandrana from the western Indian Ocean, is a colour form, but Wells & Bryce suggest that both species? forms? occur in Western Australia. I have discussed this more fully under C. sandrana.

Reference:
• Baba, K. & Abe, T. (1959). The genus Chelidonura and a new species, C. tsurugensis, from Japan. Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, 7(2): 279-280

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 27) Chelidonura tsurugensis Baba & Abe, 1959. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/cheltsur

Related messages


Chelidonura tsurugensis 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 an image from Okinawa:

Chelidonura tsurugensis  Baba & Abe, 1959   Very rare on Okinawa. TL: 16mm, collected from 3m / Seragaki, Okinawa /
19 July, 1991.

Cheers,
bob

Bob Bolland
OKINAWA

bolland@imicom.or.jp

Bolland, R.F., 1998 (Oct 27) Chelidonura tsurugensis from Okinawa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/280

Thanks Bob,
I've been wanting to see a photo of this species as I have fairly strong feelings that Chelidonura sandrana is a colour form of this species. I'm not totally convinced but it would be nice to find some western Pacific specimens with the white and yellow markings.
Your welcome picture made me find a picture of C. sandrana and I have posted that today as well... Bill

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Oct 27). Comment on Chelidonura tsurugensis from Okinawa by Bob Bolland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/280