Headshield Slugs; Cephalaspidea

The Headshield Slugs are a bunch of Opisthobranchs that spend more time under the sand than above. As a consequence they are not often spotted when SCUBA diving. Note the varieties of “headshield” front, used for cruising below the substrate.

Philinopsis speciosa, Aglajidae

The juveniles seem to have a darker colouration and a more simple patterning than the adults.

Philinopsis taronga, Aglajidae

We thought it looked a bit like Philinopsis speciosa at first, but now we know that it is not.

Tubulophilinopsis lineolata, Aglajidae

Identifiable by the distinctive horizontal body stripes.

Tubulophilinopsis pilsbryi, Aglajidae

The headshield slug most often spotted when diving here. We have often seen them in large groups and even seen one swimming !

Tubulophilinopsis reticulata, Aglajidae

We first thought that this was T. lineolata until checking the photos after the dive...

Gastropteron bicornutum; Gastropteridae

Quite different from the Aglajids shown above, this Gastropterid moves surprisingly quickly (for its tiny size) over the sand.

Haminoea maugeansis, Haminoeidae

This is a fairly obscure headshield slug, known as a bubble shell, due to its relatively large internal shell.

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