Rhodopoidea

Rhodopoidea Ihering, 1876

Rhodope roskoi @ Granada by David Ballesteros

Taxonomically placed within the Mesoneura group, the Rhodopoidea form a group of sea slugs, with the category of superfamily, which do not have a shell, have a worm-like body, and are microscopic. They live among the grains of sand of certain seabeds. Their diet is unknown.

Mesopsammic heterobranchs are key elements to resolve the internal relationships of the different groups of Heterobranchia, where there are many unresolved positions, phylogenetically speaking. Certain key taxa, such as the Rhodopemorpha and the Acteonimorpha will apparently allow to clarify the key anatomical features that have led to the adaptation and diversification of the Heterobranchia.

However, very few studies have been conducted focusing on the diversity of mesopsamic gastropods (e.g. Arnaud et al. 1986; Neusser et al. 2021) and even fewer in Mediterranean waters (e.g. Poizat 1984; Jörger et al. 2010). Among these works, there are very few studies of living interstitial heterobranchs, although vital traits are essential when a shell is not available to differentiate species.

Taxonomy of the Rhodopoidea

Rhodopoidea Ihering, 1876

• Rhodopidae Ihering, 1876
  • Helminthope Salvini-Plawen, 1991
  • Rhodope Koelliker, 1847

Species of Rhodopoidea cited in the Mediterranean Sea or around the Iberian Peninsula:

Bibliography

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Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.