{"id":46028,"date":"2025-02-27T22:50:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T21:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/?page_id=46028"},"modified":"2026-09-15T09:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:33:01","slug":"rhodope-veranii","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/en\/guia\/rhodopoidea\/rhodope-veranii\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhodope veranii"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rhodope veranii<\/em> K\u00f6lliker, 1847<\/h3>\n

\"Rhodope<\/div>
Rhodope veranii 6mm @ Rovinj, Croatia 1985<\/em> by Maria Mizzarro-Wimmer<\/center><\/span>

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WoRMS Taxonomic Information<\/h3>
Current accepted name: Rhodope veranii<\/em> Koelliker, 1847<\/strong><\/div>

Current classification<\/h4>
Superdomain<\/th>Biota<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Kingdom<\/th>Animalia<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Phylum<\/th>Mollusca<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Class<\/th>Gastropoda<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Subclass<\/th>Heterobranchia<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Infraclass<\/th>Mesoneura<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Superfamily<\/th>Rhodopoidea<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Family<\/th>Rhodopidae<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Genus<\/th>Rhodope<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Species<\/th>Rhodope veranii<\/em> Koelliker, 1847<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/table>

Classification provided by the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). [416610<\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Taxonomic note<\/strong>: Initially, due to its worm-like appearance, Rhodope veranii<\/em> was misclassified as a turbellarian. Over time, its classification has been debated, but it is now recognized as a gastropod within the subclass Heterobranchia. The type species of the genus Rhodope<\/em> (Rhodope veranii<\/em>) was initially described with a transverse bar of dark red colour between the first and the second third of its body (K\u00f6lliker 1847). Subsequent studies, however, have observed a variation in the colouration of this bar across specimens, ranging from brick red to orange hues (Salvini-Plawen, 1991; Haszprunar and He\u00df, 2005; Wilson et al., 2017). What seems to be the diagnostic character of this species is the length of the transverse bar, occupying one-third of the body. The shape of the coloured patch was described by K\u00f6lliker as a conspicuous “T”, but a certain variability in uniformity across the dorsum has been noted, with some specimens exhibiting a more uniformly transverse shape (Wilson et al. 2017; Fern\u00e1ndez-Sim\u00f3n et al.,2025).<\/p>\n

Description
\n<\/strong>It has a worm-like, elongated, and flattened body, typically measuring up to 6 mm in length when fully extended. The head region is slightly distinct and narrower compared to the rest of the body. Notably, this species lacks several features common to other gastropods, such as a foot, jaws, radula, gills, and heart. The eyes are deeply embedded in the head region, and the body contains elongated, slightly curved spicules ranging from 70 to 170 \u03bcm in length. The coloration is generally light yellowish to white, adorned with a transverse bar of dark red colour between the first and the second third of its body, which is characteristic for this species.<\/p>\n

Biology
\n<\/strong>Rhodope veranii<\/em> is known to feed on sponge larvae and exhibits slow movement compared to turbellarians. It is typically found on algae, particularly Ulva<\/em> (Riedl, 1983), although specimens found by Fern\u00e1ndez-Sim\u00f3n et al.(2025) were associated with Codium<\/em> and occasionally crawling on sand grains. It lays between 6-30 relatively large eggs which have direct development. At present, species are distinguished by their colour pattern.<\/p>\n

Similar Species
\n<\/strong>Whereas the principal colour (white body with orange pattern) is shared with several other Rhodope<\/em> species, Rh.veranii<\/em> differs from all other in the distinct orange pattern. Haszprunar & He\u00df (2005) presented an overview of all named species of Rhodope <\/em>(and some unnamed), with a schematic drawing of the orange pattern in order to facilitate future identifications.<\/p>\n

\"Comparison

Comparison of Rhodope<\/em> species by Haszprunar & He\u00df, 2005<\/p><\/div>\n

Etymology<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  • Rhodope.\u00a0<\/em>From ancient Greek \u201c\u1fec\u03bf\u03b4\u03cc\u03c0\u03b7\u201d \u200e(Rhod\u00f3p\u0113), one of the 3,000\u00a0Oceanids<\/em>, water-nymphs daughters of the Titans\u00a0Oceanus<\/em>\u00a0and his sister-wife\u00a0Tethys<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  • Veranii<\/em>. In honor of Chevalier Jean Baptiste V\u00e9rany, (1800-1865), French pharmacist, who in 1846 became one of the two founders of a Natural History Museum in Nice, France.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Distribution<\/strong>
    \nTo date it is only found in the Mediterranean Sea: Sicily, Italy (type locality, K\u00f6lliker 1847); Croatia (Salvini-Plawen 1991; Haszprunar and He\u00df 2005; Wilson et al. 2017) and in NE Spain (Fern\u00e1ndez-Sim\u00f3n et al., 2025).

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