Nemertea - Nemertean or Ribbon Worms (Marine worm images)

Anopla (Class)

Heteronemertea (Subclass) > Lineidae (Family)

Leucocephalonemertes
Leucocephalonemertes aurantiaca (Grube, 1855)
- A lineid nemertean

Lineus
Lineus clandestinus Krämer, Schmidt, Podsiadlowski, Beckers, Horn & Von Döhren, 2016 - A lineid nemertean
Lineus grubei (Hubrecht, 1879) - A lineid nemertean
Lineus lacteus (Rathke, 1843) syn. Ramphogordius lacteus Rathke, 1843 - A lineid nemertean
Lineus longissimus (Gunnerus, 1770)
- Giant bootlace worm or Bootlace worm
Lineus ruber (Müller, 1774) - Red ribbon worm
Lineus sanguineus (Rathke, 1799) syn. Ramphogordius sanguineus (Rathke, 1799) - A lineid nemertean
Lineus viridis (Müller, 1774) - A lineid nemertean

Micrura
Micrura fasciolata Ehrenberg, 1828 - A lineid nemertean
Micrura purpurea (Dalyell, 1853) - A lineid nemertean

Siphonenteron
Siphonenteron bilineatum Meneghini in Renier, 1847
syn. Lineus bilineatus (Renier, 1804) - A lineid nemertean

Tenuilineus
Tenuilineus albocinctus (Bergendal, 1903)
- A lineid nemertean

Enopla (Class)

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Amphiporidae (Family)

Amphiporus
Amphiporus lactifloreus (Johnston, 1828)
- An Amphiporid nemertean

Psammamphiporus
Psammamphiporus elongatus (Stephenson, 1911)
syn. Amphiporus elongatus Stephenson, 1911
- An amphiporid nemertean

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Emplectonematidae (Family)

Emplectonema
Emplectonema gracile (Johnston, 1837) - A Ribbon worm
Emplectonema neesii (Örsted, 1843) - A Ribbon worm

Nemertopsis
Nemertopsis bivittata (Delle Chiaje, 1841)
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertopsis flavida (McIntosh, 1873/74)
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertopsis sp. ? - Newlyn 03.01.17 and other dates
- A nemertean or ribbon worm

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Oerstediidae (Family)

Oerstedia dorsalis is known to be extremely variable, but it may also be a complex of species that needs further investigation, which is why the images have been split into three rough types. Form three here may or may not fit with the currently accepted species Oerstedia nigra (Riches, 1893).

Oerstedia
Oerstedia dorsalis (Abildgaard, 1806)
- A Nemertean worm (common forms)
Oerstedia dorsalis (Abildgaard, 1806)
- A Nemertean worm (form two)
Oerstedia dorsalis (Abildgaard, 1806)
- A Nemertean worm (very dark forms)
Oerstedia dorsalis (Abildgaard, 1806)
- A Nemertean / Ribbon worm (spotted forms)
Oerstedia dorsalis (Abildgaard, 1806)
- A Nemertean / Ribbon worm (partially spotted)

Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Prosorhochmidae (Family)

Prosorhochmus
Prosorhochmus claparedii Keferstein, 1862
- A Prosorhochmid nemertean

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder)

Vieitezia
Vieitezia luzmurubeae Junoy, Andrade & Giribet, 2010
- A hoplonemertean (Species new to UK - May 2015)

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Carcinonemertidae (Family)

Carcinonemertes
Carcinonemertes carcinophila (Kölliker, 1845)
- A Shore crab parasite - 1 (Looe)
Carcinonemertes carcinophila (Kölliker, 1845)
- A Shore crab parasite - 2 (Saltash)

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Tetrastemmatidae (Family)

Tetrastemma sp. 23.03.15 - A tetrastemmatid nemertean

Hoplonemertea (Class) > Polystilifera (Order) > Reptantia (Suborder) > Eureptantia (Infraorder) > Aequifurcata (Superfamily) > Drepanophoridae (Family)

Punnettia
Punnettia splendida (Keferstein, 1862)
- Bright ribbon worm

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Polystilifera (Order) > Reptantia (Suborder) > Eureptantia (Infraorder) > Inaequifurcata (Superfamily) > Paradrepanophoridae (Family)

Paradrepanophorus
Paradrepanophorus crassus (Quatrefages, 1846)
- a paradrepanophorid nemertean

Hoplonemertea (Subclass) > Polystilifera (Order)

Nemertean species belonging to the order polystilifera
- Newlyn Marina, Newlyn, Cornwall. 28.05.15.

Palaeonemertea (Class)

Cephalothricidae (Family)

Cephalothrix
Cephalothrix filiformis Johnston, 1828
- A cephalothricid ribbon worm
Cephalothrix linearis (Rathke, 1799) ?
- A cephalothricid ribbon worm
Cephalothrix rufifrons (Johnston, 1837)
- A cephalothricid ribbon worm

Cephalothrix simula Iwata, 1952 - Pacific Death Worm at Godrevy Point, Hayle, Cornwall, 18.05.18.
(invasive non-native)

Cephalothrix simula Iwata, 1952 - Pacific Death Worm
at Hannafore Point, Looe, Cornwall, 05.01.22.
(invasive non-native)

Cephalothrix simula Iwata, 1952 - Pacific Death Worm
at Saltash, Cornwall, 06.03.22. (invasive non-native)

Cephalothrix simula Iwata, 1952 - Pacific Death Worm
at Bovisand, Devon, 19.04.22. (invasive non-native)

Cephalothrix simula Iwata, 1952 - Pacific Death Worm
at Poole, Dorset, 12.09.18. (invasive non-native)

Cephalothrix sp. (Sennen Cove 01.09.23)
- A cephalothricid ribbon worm (help needed!!!)

Tubulanidae (Family)

Carinesta
Carinesta anglica Wijnhoff, 1912 ?
- A tubulanid nemertean

Tubulanus
Tubulanus annulatus (Montagu, 1804)
- Football jersey worm
Tubulanus banyulensis (Joubin, 1890)
- A nemertean or Ribbon worm
Tubulanus nothus (Bürger, 1892)
- A tubulanid nemertean
Tubulanus superbus (Kölliker, 1845)
- A tubulanid nemertean (probably part of)

Please note any species that has a question mark after its name (?) is either 'likely' to be that species, or cannot be determined exactly, because of a recent or current DNA revision. Photography is a good tool for identifying some species but many other species need either dissection or DNA analysis to determine to species level.

Specimens in need of identification or description

Nemertean species 13.09.22. (Saltash, Cornwall)
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertean species 01.04.22 Hannafore, Cornwall
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertean species 02.03.17. (species nova?)
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertean species to identify, Helford 08.10.17
Nemertean 1 - Found amongst old Eelgrass roots on the
lowershore at Long Rock, Penzance, Cornwall. 19.03.15.
Nemertean 4 - Found under a stone at Penlee Point,
Mousehole. 20.03.15.
Nemertean 7 - found amongst fouling at Newlyn Marina, Newlyn. 14.04.15.
Nemertean 5, Penzance. 06.04.12.
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertean species, Marazion 17.10.12
- A ribbon or nemertean worm
Nemertean species, Penzance 27.02.13
- A ribbon or nemertean worm

Various images of marine nemerteans

Nemertean worm egg masses

Nemertean or ribbon worm
- proboscis (click to view image)

Nemertean or ribbon worm
- with proboscis exerted (click to view image)

Terrestrial Nemertines or Smiling Worms (Nemertea)

Monostilifera (Order) > Eumonostilifera (Suborder) > Prosorhochmidae (Family)

Argonemertes
Argonemertes dendyi (Dakin, 1915)
- A terrestrial nemertine or Smiling worm (non-native)
Argonemertes sp. (c.f. A. australiensis)
- A terrestrial nemertine or Smiling worm (non-native)
Argonemertes sp. (c.f. A. dendyi)
- A terrestrial nemertine or Smiling worm (non-native)
Argonemertes sp.
- Various undetermined terrestrial nemertines (non-native)

Literature used to determine nemertean species
Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) No.24 British Nemerteans by Ray Gibson.
Nemerteans from Spain and Portugal by Alfonso Herrera Bachiller.

APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.