WoRMS taxon details
Ophelia limacina (Rathke, 1843)
130494 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:130494)
accepted
Species
Ammotrypane limacina Rathke, 1843 · unaccepted (superseded original combination)
Ophelia eruciformis Johnston, 1865 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Ophelia taurica Bobretzky, 1881 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
- Subspecies Ophelia limacina roscoffensis Augener, 1910 accepted as Ophelia roscoffensis Augener, 1910 (raised to species rank)
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
(of Ammotrypane limacina Rathke, 1843) Rathke, H. (1843). Beiträge zur Fauna Norwegens. [Contributions to the Fauna of Norway]. <em>Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum, Breslau & Bonn.</em> 20: 1-264., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11613
page(s): 190-192, 202-205, plate X figs. 4-8, plate XI fig. 14 [details]
page(s): 190-192, 202-205, plate X figs. 4-8, plate XI fig. 14 [details]
Type locality contained in Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone
type locality contained in Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone [from synonym] [view taxon] [details]
Description Bristle worm with a short, thick fusiform body up to 55 mm long. The anterior end is cylindrical; the
posterior end is...
Distribution O. limacina is found in the Southern Bight, its distribution extending into the marine and central part of the...
Distribution Ophelia limacina is found on almost the entire Belgian part of the North Sea with a high frequency of occurrence. The...
Distribution Saguenay Fjord, northern Gaspe waters, southern Gaspe waters (Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspe Bay to American, Orphan and Bradelle...
posterior end is...
Description Bristle worm with a short, thick fusiform body up to 55 mm long. The anterior end is cylindrical; the
posterior end is characterised by a ventral groove. The head is a simple smooth cone without
appendages, but does have groups of little bristles. The parapodia are in general reduced and bear finger-like gills on the hind part of the body. [details]
posterior end is characterised by a ventral groove. The head is a simple smooth cone without
appendages, but does have groups of little bristles. The parapodia are in general reduced and bear finger-like gills on the hind part of the body. [details]
Distribution O. limacina is found in the Southern Bight, its distribution extending into the marine and central part of the...
Distribution O. limacina is found in the Southern Bight, its distribution extending into the marine and central part of the Westerschelde. The polychaete also occurs north of the Wadden islands, at the Cleaver Bank and more offshore at the Dogger Bank, but is absent from the Oyster Ground. [details]
Distribution Ophelia limacina is found on almost the entire Belgian part of the North Sea with a high frequency of occurrence. The...
Distribution Ophelia limacina is found on almost the entire Belgian part of the North Sea with a high frequency of occurrence. The distribution of the species is only (very) limited in the coastal zone (1976-1986 period) or in the eastern coastal zone (1994-2001 period). The maximum density of O. limacina is > 600 ind./m2 in the 1976-1986 period whereas this amount fell to a maximum of about 150 ind./m2 in the 1994-2001 period. [details]
Distribution Saguenay Fjord, northern Gaspe waters, southern Gaspe waters (Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspe Bay to American, Orphan and Bradelle...
Distribution Saguenay Fjord, northern Gaspe waters, southern Gaspe waters (Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspe Bay to American, Orphan and Bradelle banks; eastern boundary: Eastern Bradelle Valley), downstream part of middle St. Lawrence estuary, lower St. Lawrence estuary, Prince Edward Island (from the northern tip of Miscou Island, N.B. to Cape Breton Island south of Cheticamp, including the Northumberland Strait and Georges Bay to the Canso Strait causeway); Lower North Shore [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Ophelia limacina (Rathke, 1843). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=130494 on 2025-07-17
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Nomenclature
original description
(of Ammotrypane limacina Rathke, 1843) Rathke, H. (1843). Beiträge zur Fauna Norwegens. [Contributions to the Fauna of Norway]. <em>Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum, Breslau & Bonn.</em> 20: 1-264., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.11613
page(s): 190-192, 202-205, plate X figs. 4-8, plate XI fig. 14 [details]
original description (of Ophelia eruciformis Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. <em>[book].</em> 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291 [details]
original description (of Ophelia taurica Bobretzky, 1881) Bobretzky, N. (1881). Dopolnenia k faune Annelid Chernogo morya [Additions/supplement to the annelid fauna of the Black Sea]. <em>Zapiski Kievskago obshchestva estestvoispytateleĭ [Mémoires de la Société des Naturalistes de Kiew].</em> 6(2): 183-212, plates 6 & 7., available online at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100422735
page(s): 201-203, plate VI fig. 4A-B [details]
basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]
page(s): 190-192, 202-205, plate X figs. 4-8, plate XI fig. 14 [details]
original description (of Ophelia eruciformis Johnston, 1865) Johnston, G. (1865). A catalogue of the British non-parasitical worms in the collection of the British Museum. <em>[book].</em> 1-365. British Museum. London. [See also separate entry for Baird supplement]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12291 [details]
original description (of Ophelia taurica Bobretzky, 1881) Bobretzky, N. (1881). Dopolnenia k faune Annelid Chernogo morya [Additions/supplement to the annelid fauna of the Black Sea]. <em>Zapiski Kievskago obshchestva estestvoispytateleĭ [Mémoires de la Société des Naturalistes de Kiew].</em> 6(2): 183-212, plates 6 & 7., available online at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100422735
page(s): 201-203, plate VI fig. 4A-B [details]
basis of record Bellan, G. (2001). Polychaeta, <i>in</i>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. <em>Collection Patrimoines Naturels.</em> 50: 214-231. (look up in IMIS) [details]
Taxonomy
source of synonymy
Tebble, Norman 1952. On three species of the genus Ophelia (Polychaeta) from British and adjacent waters. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5: 553-571. [details]
source of synonymy Fauvel, P. 1907. Première note préliminaire sur les Polychètes provenant des campagnes de l'Hirondelle et de la Princesse-Alice ou déposées dans le Musée Océanographique de Monaco. Bulletin de l'Institute océanographique, 107: 1-34. [details]
redescription Jirkov, I.A. (2001). [Polychaeta of the Arctic Ocean] (In Russian) Polikhety severnogo Ledovitogo Okeana. Yanus-K Press, Moscow, 632 pp., available online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259865957_Jirkov_2001_Polychaeta_of_the_North_Polar_Basin [details] Available for editors
[request]
source of synonymy Fauvel, P. 1907. Première note préliminaire sur les Polychètes provenant des campagnes de l'Hirondelle et de la Princesse-Alice ou déposées dans le Musée Océanographique de Monaco. Bulletin de l'Institute océanographique, 107: 1-34. [details]
redescription Jirkov, I.A. (2001). [Polychaeta of the Arctic Ocean] (In Russian) Polikhety severnogo Ledovitogo Okeana. Yanus-K Press, Moscow, 632 pp., available online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259865957_Jirkov_2001_Polychaeta_of_the_North_Polar_Basin [details] Available for editors
[request]Other
context source (Deepsea)
Census of Marine Life (2012). SYNDEEP: Towards a first global synthesis of biodiversity, biogeography and ecosystem function in the deep sea. Unpublished data (datasetID: 39), available online at http://www.comlsecretariat.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/SYNDEEP-Towards-a-first-global-synthesis-of-biodiversity-biogeography-and-ecosystem-function-in-the-deep-sea-Eva-Ramirez-Llodra-et-al..pdf [details]
context source (Schelde) Maris, T., O. Beauchard, S. Van Damme, E. Van den Bergh, S. Wijnhoven & P. Meire. (2013). Referentiematrices en Ecotoopoppervlaktes Annex bij de Evaluatiemethodiek Schelde-estuarium Studie naar “Ecotoopoppervlaktes en intactness index”. [Reference matrices and Ecotope areas Annex to the Evaluation methodology Scheldt estuary Study on “Ecotope areas and intactness index”. <em>Monitor Taskforce Publication Series, 2013-01. NIOZ: Yerseke.</em> 35 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
context source (BeRMS 2020) Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ); (2013). Data collected during the expeditions of the e-learning projects Expedition Zeeleeuw and Planet Ocean. [details]
additional source Brunel, P., L. Bosse & G. Lamarche. (1998). Catalogue of the marine invertebrates of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. <em>Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 126.</em> 405 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. <em>Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France.</em> 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]
additional source Dumitrescu, Elena. (1957). ContributIi la studiul Polichetelor din Marea Neagra, litoralul rominesc. <em>Buletin Stiintific, Akadademia Republicii Populare Romine, Sectia Biologie si Stiinte Agricole, Seria Zoologie.</em> 9: 119-130. [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Hartmann-Schröder, G. (1996). Annelida, Borstenwürmer, Polychaeta [Annelida, bristleworms, Polychaeta]. <em>2nd revised ed. The fauna of Germany and adjacent seas with their characteristics and ecology, 58. Gustav Fischer: Jena, Germany. ISBN 3-437-35038-2.</em> 648 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Hartman, O. 1938. Descriptions of new species and new generic records of polychaetous annelids from California of the families Glyceridae, Eunicidae, Stauronereidae, and Opheliidae. University of California Publications in Zoology, 43(6): 93-111.
page(s): 107, figs. 55-58 [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Hartman, Olga. (1942). The identity of some marine annelid worms in the United States National Museum. <em>Proceedings of the United States National Museum.</em> 92(3142): 101-140., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15766789
page(s): 130 [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Malmgren, A.J. (1867). Annulata Polychaeta Spetsbergiæ, Grœnlandiæ, Islandiæ et Scandinaviæ. Hactenus Cognita. Ex Officina Frenckelliana, Helsingforslæ. 127 pp. & XIV plates., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/13358 [details]
additional source Støp-Bowitz, Carl. (1945). Les ophéliens norvégiens. <em>Meddelelser fra det Zoologiske Museum, Oslo.</em> 52: 21-61.
page(s): 32-38, fig. 2a-c [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
context source (Schelde) Maris, T., O. Beauchard, S. Van Damme, E. Van den Bergh, S. Wijnhoven & P. Meire. (2013). Referentiematrices en Ecotoopoppervlaktes Annex bij de Evaluatiemethodiek Schelde-estuarium Studie naar “Ecotoopoppervlaktes en intactness index”. [Reference matrices and Ecotope areas Annex to the Evaluation methodology Scheldt estuary Study on “Ecotope areas and intactness index”. <em>Monitor Taskforce Publication Series, 2013-01. NIOZ: Yerseke.</em> 35 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details]
context source (BeRMS 2020) Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ); (2013). Data collected during the expeditions of the e-learning projects Expedition Zeeleeuw and Planet Ocean. [details]
additional source Brunel, P., L. Bosse & G. Lamarche. (1998). Catalogue of the marine invertebrates of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. <em>Canadian Special Publication of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 126.</em> 405 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. <em>Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France.</em> 307 pp., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/145561.pdf [details]
additional source Dumitrescu, Elena. (1957). ContributIi la studiul Polichetelor din Marea Neagra, litoralul rominesc. <em>Buletin Stiintific, Akadademia Republicii Populare Romine, Sectia Biologie si Stiinte Agricole, Seria Zoologie.</em> 9: 119-130. [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). , available online at http://www.itis.gov [details]
additional source Hartmann-Schröder, G. (1996). Annelida, Borstenwürmer, Polychaeta [Annelida, bristleworms, Polychaeta]. <em>2nd revised ed. The fauna of Germany and adjacent seas with their characteristics and ecology, 58. Gustav Fischer: Jena, Germany. ISBN 3-437-35038-2.</em> 648 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Hartman, O. 1938. Descriptions of new species and new generic records of polychaetous annelids from California of the families Glyceridae, Eunicidae, Stauronereidae, and Opheliidae. University of California Publications in Zoology, 43(6): 93-111.
page(s): 107, figs. 55-58 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Hartman, Olga. (1942). The identity of some marine annelid worms in the United States National Museum. <em>Proceedings of the United States National Museum.</em> 92(3142): 101-140., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15766789
page(s): 130 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Malmgren, A.J. (1867). Annulata Polychaeta Spetsbergiæ, Grœnlandiæ, Islandiæ et Scandinaviæ. Hactenus Cognita. Ex Officina Frenckelliana, Helsingforslæ. 127 pp. & XIV plates., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/13358 [details]
additional source Støp-Bowitz, Carl. (1945). Les ophéliens norvégiens. <em>Meddelelser fra det Zoologiske Museum, Oslo.</em> 52: 21-61.
page(s): 32-38, fig. 2a-c [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Biology Females with ripe eggs have been observed in spring and summer. The planktonic larvae occur in waters with a salinity down to 13%. O. limacina is a typical non-selective deposit feeder. The lack of food specialisation of adults contrasts sharply with the selectivity of juveniles for certain types of substrate. The species is food for demersal fish (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Wolff, 1973; Curtis, 1977; Kirkegaard, 1978; Fauchald & Jumars, 1979). [details]
Description Bristle worm with a short, thick fusiform body up to 55 mm long. The anterior end is cylindrical; the
posterior end is characterised by a ventral groove. The head is a simple smooth cone without
appendages, but does have groups of little bristles. The parapodia are in general reduced and bear finger-like gills on the hind part of the body. [details]
Distribution O. limacina is found in the Southern Bight, its distribution extending into the marine and central part of the Westerschelde. The polychaete also occurs north of the Wadden islands, at the Cleaver Bank and more offshore at the Dogger Bank, but is absent from the Oyster Ground. [details]
Distribution Ophelia limacina is found on almost the entire Belgian part of the North Sea with a high frequency of occurrence. The distribution of the species is only (very) limited in the coastal zone (1976-1986 period) or in the eastern coastal zone (1994-2001 period). The maximum density of O. limacina is > 600 ind./m2 in the 1976-1986 period whereas this amount fell to a maximum of about 150 ind./m2 in the 1994-2001 period. [details]
Distribution Saguenay Fjord, northern Gaspe waters, southern Gaspe waters (Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspe Bay to American, Orphan and Bradelle banks; eastern boundary: Eastern Bradelle Valley), downstream part of middle St. Lawrence estuary, lower St. Lawrence estuary, Prince Edward Island (from the northern tip of Miscou Island, N.B. to Cape Breton Island south of Cheticamp, including the Northumberland Strait and Georges Bay to the Canso Strait causeway); Lower North Shore [details]
Habitat The species prefers medium to coarse sands mixed with gravel or shell fragments. Muddy sediments seem to be avoided. [details]
Habitat Ophelia limacina has a clear preference for coarse sediments: a high relative occurrence (> 40%) is reached in sediments with a median grain size of 300 to 550 μm. However, the species is absent in very coarse sediments (> 600 μm). Ophelia limacina tends to prefer sediments with low mud contents (optimum: 0 to 10%). The species does not occur in sediments with a mud content exceeding 20%. [details]
Habitat bathyal, infralittoral and circalittoral of the Gulf and estuary [details]
Morphology Body short, thick and spindle-shaped. Body maximally 50 mm in length and divided into 40 segments. The front part is cylindrical, while the hind part of the body has a ventral groove. The head is pointed, without appendages. Parapodia are inconspicuous and bear finger-like gills on the posterior part of the body. O. limacina is pink to flesh-coloured (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971). [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| English | snail opheliidHamlet's ophelia worm | [details] |
| French | ophélie | [details] |
| German | SchneckenwurmGroßer Hamletwurm | [details] |
To Barcode of Life (10 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (33 publications) (from synonym Ammotrypane limacina Rathke, 1843)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (78 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Ophelia limacina)
To GenBank (379 nucleotides; 8 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To Macrozoobenthos communities of Svalbard
To PESI
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Annelida Collection (69 records)
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (33 publications) (from synonym Ammotrypane limacina Rathke, 1843)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (78 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Ophelia limacina)
To GenBank (379 nucleotides; 8 proteins)
To Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)
To Macrozoobenthos communities of Svalbard
To PESI
To USNM Invertebrate Zoology Annelida Collection (69 records)
To ITIS
Unreviewed
