Biodiversity & Conservation

A nemertean worm - Ramphogordius sanguineus - General information

A nemertean worm

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Distribution map

Ramphogordius sanguineus recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

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Ramphogordius sanguineus is not listed under any importance categories.

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Morvan Barnes Text page icon Refereed by:

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Nemertina Ribbon worms
Class Anopla
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Little is known about its current distribution around Britain and Ireland but it has been sighted at one location of the west coast of Scotland.
Habitat information icon Habitat information Ramphogordius sanguineus is an intertidal species. It is usually found under rocks or embedded in black mud.
Text page icon Description Ramphogordius sanguineus is a moderately-sized free-living nemertean worm that can reach up to 20 cm in length and 3 mm in width. Like all ribbon worms, it is an unsegmented, bilaterally symmetrical ciliated worm with a separate mouth and anus. Ramphogordius sanguineus has longitudinal grooves on opposite sides of its head with four to six eyes on each side and a distinct mouth. When irritated it contracts into tight coils. It has varied but uniform colouring.

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Ramphogordius sanguineus. A nemertean worm. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 03/09/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=4237>