Atlantic Ancula vs Common Dodder

Ancula gibbosa compared with Cuscuta gronovii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic Ancula	Common Dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (สัตว์)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum	Mollusca (มอลลัสกา)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Gastropoda (ชั้นแกสโทรโพดา)	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)
Order	Nudibranchia (ทากทะเล)	Solanales (อันดับมะเขือ)
Family	Goniodorididae	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Ancula	Cuscuta
Species	Ancula gibbosa	Cuscuta gronovii

Conservation Status

Atlantic Ancula

LC — Least Concern

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Atlantic Ancula	Common Dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic Ancula

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

Atlantic Ancula

The Atlantic Ancula (Ancula gibbosa) is a species in the genus Ancula. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.