Julia mishimaensis Kawaguti & Yamasu, 1982
Description
A small sacoglossan with a bivalved shell — the defining feature of the family Juliidae, in which a gastropod carries a left-and-right paired shell resembling that of a true bivalve. The shell surface bears fine sculpture. The shell is greenish, and the soft body ranges from green to pale brown.Distribution
Type locality is Mishima Island, off Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The species is recorded from Japanese waters.Etymology
The specific epithet mishimaensis refers to the type locality, Mishima Island.Remarks
The Japanese vernacular ミシマユリヤガイ likewise refers to the type locality. Like other juliids, this herbivorous sacoglossan feeds on green algae and can retract its body within the bivalved shell.References
- Julia mishimaensis n. sp., KAWAGUTI S. & YAMASU T. (1982). A new bivalved gastropod, Julia mishimaensis n. sp. Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B. 58(2): 29-31. https://doi.org/10.2183/pjab.58.29
- ミシマユリヤガイ, 川口四郎. (1983). 二殻腹足類ユリヤガイ. 川崎医療短期大学紀要. 2: 93-100. https://doi.org/10.18928/00000643
- ミシマユリヤガイ, 奥谷喬司. (2000). 日本近海産貝類図鑑. 東海大学出版会.
- Julia mishimaensis, McCarthy-Taylor J.B., Krug P.J., Muro S., Vendetti J., Maestrati P., Wong N.L.W.S., Gosliner T.M. & Valdés Á. (2025). The slug within the bivalve: molecular and morphological systematics of the family Juliidae (Gastropoda: Panpulmonata: Sacoglossa). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204(2): zlaf056. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf056
A Kindle field guide by the site author
Kimoto N. (2026). Sea Slugs of Japan & the Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition.
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Photos of Julia mishimaensis
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.