# Rhynchodemus

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***Rhynchodemus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [land planarians](/source/Land_planarians) in the tribe [Rhynchodemini](/source/Rhynchodemini).

## Description

Species of the genus *Rhynchodemus* are characterized by an elongate body that is attenuated at both ends, oval or round in cross section. The creeping sole occupies most of the ventral surface and the anterior end has two large eyes. The [copulatory apparatus](/source/Reproductive_system_of_planarians) has a large chamber with folded epithelium in the male atrium, without a penis papilla.[1]

## Species

The genus *Rhynchodemus* includes the following species:

- *[Rhynchodemus americanus](/source/Rhynchodemus_americanus)* Hyman, 1943
- *[Rhynchodemus angustus](/source/Rhynchodemus_angustus)* (Hyman, 1941)
- *[Rhynchodemus aripensis](/source/Rhynchodemus_aripensis)* Prudhoe, 1949
- *[Rhynchodemus blainvillei](/source/Rhynchodemus_blainvillei)* von Graff, 1899
- *[Rhynchodemus bromelicola](/source/Rhynchodemus_bromelicola)* de Beauchamp, 1912
- *[Rhynchodemus costaricensis](/source/Rhynchodemus_costaricensis)* de Beauchamp, 1913
- *[Rhynchodemus flavus](/source/Rhynchodemus_flavus)* Moseley, 1877
- *[Rhynchodemus fuscus](/source/Rhynchodemus_fuscus)* Moseley, 1877
- *[Rhynchodemus graetzi](/source/Rhynchodemus_graetzi)* du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1953
- *[Rhynchodemus hectori](/source/Rhynchodemus_hectori)* von Graff, 1897
- *[Rhynchodemus ijimai](/source/Rhynchodemus_ijimai)* Kaburaki, 1922
- *[Rhynchodemus inopinatus](/source/Rhynchodemus_inopinatus)* (de Beauchamp, 1930)
- *[Rhynchodemus marfa](/source/Rhynchodemus_marfa)* Marcus, 1953
- *[Rhynchodemus misus](/source/Rhynchodemus_misus)* du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1965
- *[Rhynchodemus nematopsis](/source/Rhynchodemus_nematopsis)* (de Beauchamp, 1930)
- *[Rhynchodemus oahuensis](/source/Rhynchodemus_oahuensis)* Hyman, 1939
- *[Rhynchodemus ochroleucus](/source/Rhynchodemus_ochroleucus)* von Graff, 1899
- *[Rhynchodemus palnisius](/source/Rhynchodemus_palnisius)* de Beauchamp, 1930
- *[Rhynchodemus piptus](/source/Rhynchodemus_piptus)* Marcus, 1952
- *[Rhynchodemus samperi](/source/Rhynchodemus_samperi)* Furhmann, 1912
- *[Rhynchodemus schmardai](/source/Rhynchodemus_schmardai)* von Graff, 1899
- *[Rhynchodemus schubarti](/source/Rhynchodemus_schubarti)* du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1955
- *[Rhynchodemus scius](/source/Rhynchodemus_scius)* du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1955
- *[Rhynchodemus sumbawaeiensis](/source/Rhynchodemus_sumbawaeiensis)* (Hausler-Gamish, 1982)
- *[Rhynchodemus sylvaticus](/source/Rhynchodemus_sylvaticus)* (Leidy, 1851)
- *[Rhynchodemus vejdovskyi](/source/Rhynchodemus_vejdovskyi)* von Graff, 1899

## Molecular information

The [mitochondrial genome](/source/Mitochondrial_DNA) of *Rhynchodemus sylvaticus* was described in 2025. It is 16,891 bp long and contains 12 protein-coding genes, two [rRNA](/source/Ribosomal_RNA) genes and 21 [tRNA](/source/Transfer_RNA) genes; no *tRNA-Thr* was found. In contrast to the other eight species of [Rhynchodeminae](/source/Rhynchodeminae) with sequenced mitogenomes, there is a real stop codon for *ND5*. In a phylogeny based on proteins from the mitogenome, *R. sylvaticus* is within a clade including other species of the tribe [Rhynchodemini](/source/Rhynchodemini) from Oceania, but is distinguished by a long branch.[2]

## References

1. Ogren, R. E. & Kawakatsu, M. (1988). ["Index to the species of the family Rhynchodemidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part I: Rhynchodeminae."](http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110008426068/en). *Bulletin of Fujis Women's College*. **26**: 39–91. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160602230835/http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110008426068/en) 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-01-30.

1. Gastineau, Romain; Otis, Christian; Boyle, Brian; Winsor, Leigh; Justine, Jean-Lou (2025-07-03). "The mitogenome of the Northern Hemisphere native terrestrial flatworm *Rhynchodemus sylvaticus* (Leidy, 1851) (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae)". *Mitochondrial DNA Part B*. **10** (7): 558–562. [doi:10.1080/23802359.2025.2515435](https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2025.2515435). [ISSN 2380-2359](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2380-2359). [PMC 12150643](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12150643). [PMID 40496194](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40496194)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rhynchodemus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhynchodemus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhynchodemus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.