44 AGLAJA. 
Genus AGLAJA Renier, 1804. 
Aglaja Renter, Prospetto della Classe dei Vermi, p. 16, (1804) ; 
Tav. di Classificazione, 1807, pl. 8; Osserv. Postume di Zool. Adri- 
atica, pubblic. per cura del R. Instit. Ven. a Studio del Meneghini, 
Venezia 1847, p. 3-8, pl. 16. Not Aglajaor Aglaia Albers et auct. 
mult.—Doridium Meckel, Ueber ein neues Geschlecht der Gastero- 
poden, Beytr. Vergleich. Anat. i, zweites Heft, p. 33, (1809), and 
of authors generally.—Acera Cuvier, Mém. sur les Acéres, in Ann, 
Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, xvi, p. 9, (1810).—Fidothea Risso, Hist. 
Nat. Eur. Mérid., iv, p. 46, (1826).—Melanochlamys CHEESEMAN, 
Trans. N, Z. Inst., xiii, p. 224, (1881).— Posterobranchea d’ORBIGNY, 
Voy. dans l’Amér. Mérid., p. 201, (1837 ?).—Bullidium Leuk, Dis- 
sert de Pleurobranch, p. 10, (1813).—Lobaria BLAINVILLE, Manuel 
de Malac., p. 478, (1825).—? Philinopsis Prase, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 21. 
For anatomy see Beran, Die Gruppe der Doridien in Mittheil. 
Zool. Stat. Neap., xi, p, 107-135, pl. 8, and Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 
xxv, p. 205-222. 
See above for characters. 
This genus was first indicated by Renier under the name Aglaja 
in his Prospetto, 1804, but it was not characterized until his Tavolo 
di Classificazione appeared in 1807, in which the group is very well 
defined, with descriptions and figures of the two Mediterranean spe- 
cies. The name has been generally dropped by malacologists in 
favor of Meckel’s term Doridium, published in 1809; but such a 
course is wholly without justification. There is a genus Aglaea in 
plants (Persoon, 1805), and the name Aglaja (and Aglaia) has been 
several times used in zoology, but clearly subsequent in every case 
to Renier’s diagnosis. The other synonyms, Acera Cuv., Hidothea 
Risso, Melanochlamys Cheesem., etc., are later and absolute synonyms. 
Posterobranchea Orb, was founded upon an error, the dorsal being 
mistaken fot the ventral surface of the body, reversing the positions 
of all asymmetrical organs, and bringing the transverse groove of 
the back below. Philinopsis of Pease seems to be another synonym, 
but in the absence of definite information I have inserted it at the 
end of the genus Aglaja. 
Geographic Distribution. 
Mediterranean: A. tricolorata and depicta. 
E. coast of Africa: A. cyanea, nigra, guttata. 
Australia and New Zealand: A. marmorea, lineolata, cylindrica. 
