Runcina ferruginea (Kress, 1977)
WoRMS Taxonomic Information
Current classification
| Superdomain | Biota |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Subclass | Heterobranchia |
| Infraclass | Euthyneura |
| Subterclass | Tectipleura |
| Order | Runcinida |
| Superfamily | Runcinoidea |
| Family | Runcinidae |
| Genus | Runcina |
| Species | Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977 |
This is a species whose specimens rarely exceed 4 mm. The body is narrow and elongated, limaciforme, with homogeneous reddish-brown coloration that honors the specific name. The center of the back can be somewhat darker due to the viscera. In some specimens the color can be blackish or orange, so it can be confused with small turbellarians (triclades). None of the specimens shows dark or light spots. The head region has light side lobes. The eyes are located near the front of the cephalic area. The foot is colored slightly lighter than the body, with long rounded tail. Beneath the rear of the notum there are 3 small semitransparent unipinnate gills.
Biology
No details are known of its biology. Like other species of Runcina it is believed to have herbivore eating habits.
Etymology
- Runcina. From Latin “runcina”, carpenter’s plane.
- Ferruginea. From Latin, feminine singular of “ferrÅ«gineus”, meaning “rust colored”.
Distribution
The specific name clearly identifies the reddish coloration of this species. It has Atlantic and Mediterranean distribution. In the Iberian Peninsula it is known from the Cantabrian coast, Galicia, coast of Portugal, Gibraltar Strait, and south eastern coast. In Catalonia it is cited based on a single specimen collected in Es Caials (north Costa Brava).
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Abundance
| Western Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Eastern Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Atlantic Ocean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Runcina ferruginea based on our own records.
More pictures
Bibliography
Further reading
Cite this article as:
Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2025) "Runcina ferruginea" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 29/08/2012. Accessed: 06/09/2026. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=2237)
