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ALEXANDRE MEINESZ

Three-coloured Aglaja

In Dive.Explo360: Mediterranean · Northeast Atlantic · Atlantic Ocean

On calm sandy seabeds, the Three-coloured Aglaja often goes unnoticed, with its dark brown body dotted with small pale markings. More active at dusk, this sea slug explores the substrate in search of small prey and contributes to the balance of the hidden life of soft seabeds.

Habitat de Three-coloured Aglaja Habitat
Detrital bottom, Sand
Profondeur de Three-coloured Aglaja Depth
4-50 m
Groupe biologique de Three-coloured Aglaja Group
Mollusc
Rôle écologique de Three-coloured Aglaja Role
Predator

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

This sea slug has a long, flexible, slightly flattened body with an oval shape. Its colour is dark, generally brown to black, dotted with small pale spots across its back and flanks, providing a useful identifying feature.Like other members of its group, it has a reduced internal shell that is not visible externally. At the front, two sensory lobes flank the head. At the back, there is a slender extension of the mantle, characteristic of the genus.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It lives on soft seabeds, mainly sand or sandy mud. It frequents calm areas where it can move freely over the sediment surface.It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the neighbouring Atlantic, most often in shallow water but sometimes deeper down, depending on local conditions.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

It is a carnivorous predator that consumes small organisms living in or on the sediment, particularly worms and small invertebrates.It detects its prey through chemical substances in the water or substrate, then captures it directly on the seabed.

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