A new terrestrial planarian species of the genus Marionfyfea (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida) found in Europe

Small (c. 1 cm long) terrestrial planarians found in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France are described as a new species, Marionfyfea adventor sp. nov. Individuals of the new species have a patchy brown external appearance with small, seemingly random pale blue-ish patches. They have multiple eyes, uniserial around the anterior end, biserial or triserial laterally for a short distance then sparsely uniserial and lateral to the posterior end. The anatomy is characterized by five or six pairs of ventral testes and a single pair of ovaries adjacent to the pharyngeal pouch. The base of each ovary is surrounded by parovarian cells. The penis is of the inverted type with a basal hemispherical seminal vesicle. Two adenodactyls, one ventral, one dorsal, are present in the common antrum. The only other known species of Marionfyfea is recorded only from the Auckland Islands, New Zealand and we assume that the new species has been introduced to Europe.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7AC3D565-0BEB-4B67-8BEC-11A13A70D663     

A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes,Tricladida)

This paper presents a revised classification for the higher taxa within the Tricladida. A historical sketch is provided of the higher classificatory systems of triclad flatworms. As far as possible, the new classification is based on published phylogenetic studies. A phylogenetic tree generalizing currently available hypotheses on the higher-taxon relationships of the Tricladida forms the backbone of the new classification. There is no longer any room in formal classifications for the taxon names Terricola and Paludicola, previously used to indicate the suborders of freshwater and land planarians, respectively. It is a consequence of the new classification that the taxonomic rank of the terrestrial planarians is now at the level of family. A new diagnosis of this family is provided. The taxon name Continenticola denotes a monophyletic group consisting of the freshwater planarians and the terrestrial planarians. At this stage it is difficult to find unequivocal morphological apomorphies enabling a diagnosis for the Continenticola.     

A new Chilean genus and species of land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida,Geoplaninae) with cephalic retractor muscle and adenodactyl

ABSTRACT

A new genus and species of land planarian, Pichidamas piru gen. nov. sp. nov., is described from Pichidamas, province of Osorno in Southern Chile. Pichidamas piru is a sub-cylindrical and slender Geoplaninae characterized by the presence of a creeping sole extending 50% of the body width, a cephalic retractor muscle, five parenchymatic muscle layers, a male atrium with proximal tongue-like fold and distal adenodactyl; and ovovitelline ducts approaching the copulatory apparatus anteroventrally. Details of the organization of the cephalic retractor muscle, the absence of sensory pits, the existence of a parenchymatic muscle layer, located to the inside of the ventral peripheral nervous plexus, and an adenodactyl in the distal portion of the male atrium are unique traits seemingly reflecting an earlier branch of Geoplaninae.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:04423258-DB01-4CE3-A474-EF6B563C605C     

Three new Brazilian species of the land planarian Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplaninae), and an emendation of the genus

Three new Brazilian species of the neotropical land planarian genus Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Continenticola: Geoplaninae) are described, making a total of nine species within the genus. All the new species share unique derived characters typical of the genus. Two of the new species exhibit important features representing morphological variations that were previously unknown for the genus: the dorsal cutaneous longitudinal muscle layer, as well as the ventral one, partially sunken into the parenchyma in one species, and the common ovovitelline duct approaching the copulatory apparatus ventrally in the other. As a consequence of these morphological variations, an emendation of the genus is proposed.     

A new genus of euryleptid flatworm (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida) from the Indo-Pacific

Five new species and one new combination of marine flatworms belonging to the new genus, Maritigrella nov. gen. (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida, Euryleptidae) are presented here from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Additional records are given from Australia, Indonesia and the Republic of the Maldives.     

The genus Nematoplana Meixner, 1938 (Platyhelminthes: Unguiphora) in eastern Australia

Six new species of Nematoplana are described from eastern Australia. They are distinguished on the basis of the morphology of sclerotized structures, chromosome number and morphology, and pigmentation. Six further unguiphorid species were only found immature, and cannot be formally described. They none the less have distinct morphological and/or karyological features. The Unguiphora as a whole, and the genus Nematoplana in particular, are species-rich in eastern Australia. The high diversity of the group appears due both to narrow-range endemics, and to the narrow ecological niche of many of the species.     

Specimens of a New Zealand terrestrial planarian,Artioposthia exulans (Dendy, 1901) (Platyhelminthes: Geoplanidae) from Cornwall,UK

ABSTRACT

Specimens of a terrestrial planarian found in Cornwall, UK in 2013 and 2016 are of Artioposthia exulans (Dendy, 1901), a species previously recorded only from Chatham Island and North Island, New Zealand.     

Nematodemus lumbricoides von Graff, 1899 (Platyhelminthes,Turbellaria, Tricladida) redescribed and transferred to the phylum Nemertea

The type specimen of Nematodemus lumbricoides von Graff, 1899, is redescribed and fully illustrated. The internal morphology of the worm, which has not previously been reported, confirms that the animal is not a planarian but a heteronemertean. A re-assessment of the species' systematic status indicates that it should be transferred to the genus Baseodiscus as B. lumbridoides (von Graff, 1899) comb. nov.     

Two new Pleioplana species (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida, Acotylea) from Turkey

Two new species of flatworms, Pleioplana bosphorensis sp. nov. and Pleioplana Okusi sp. nov., Acotylea, Polycladida, are described from the shallow rocky shores of the Turkish Straits System, northwestern Turkey. Both species are characterized by a prostatic vesicle of atomata-type, stylet and Lang's vesicle. Pleioplana bosphorensis possesses a body of fleshy consistency and without tentacles, with spermiducal bulbs; elongated seminal vesicle and rounded prostatic vesicle with four tubular chambers and a conical, strong, large and straight stylet. Pleioplana Okusi has a translucent body, tentacular knobs, large seminal vesicle, elongated prostatic vesicle with six tubular chambers, and a long slender slightly curved stylet.     

Taxonomic and biological observations on the tiger flatworm,Maritigrella crozieri (Hyman, 1939), new combination (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida, Euryleptidae) from Florida waters

The tiger flatworm, Maritigrella crozieri (Hyman, 1939) (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida, Cotylea) new combination, is redescribed from eastern Florida and the Florida Keys. This marine flatworm is one of the most common polyclads within warm temperate to tropical west Atlantic, yet it has been misidentified consistently as a pseudocerotid. Animals were kept alive in the laboratory for 3 weeks for biological observations. Findings indicated that these euryleptids employ hypodermic insemination, with multiple copulations occurring over several days. Sperm was transferred in sperm bundles bilaterally with little apparent damage to the epidermis of the copulating worms. Copulation sessions were variable and lasted an average of 15.4 min. In situ and laboratory observations indicated that M. crozieri fed exclusively on the mangrove ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata Herdman, 1880, an individual consuming one prey zooid in an average of 17 min and an average of 19 zooids over 24h.     

Composition of meiobenthonic Platyhelminthes from brackish environments of the Galician and Cantabrian coasts of Spain with the description of a new species of Djeziraia (Polycystididae,Kalyptorhynchia)

From 1997 to 1999, the fauna of free‐living Platyhelminthes of the rias ecosystem was studied along the Galician and Cantabrian coast in northern Spain. In total, 72 platyhelminth species are listed in this study. Forty‐two species represent new records for the Iberian Peninsula, three of which represent new genera records. A new species belonging to the genus Djeziraia (Polycystididae, Kalyptorhynchia), Djeziraia longistyla sp. nov., is described in this paper. In this broad‐scale study, a large data set (27 localities) of the estuaries of northern Spain allowed an analysis of the turbellarian species assemblages and the relation of species distributions to salinity, conductivity, oxygen, temperature, and sediment characteristics. Species assemblages (species diversity) of each habitat of the brackish water ecotone are shown. The present study contributes to knowledge on the ability of adaptation of free‐living Platyhelminthes to regimes of brackish water ecotones.     

A new predatory flatworm (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida) from Botany Bay,New South Wales,Australia

A new species of Stylochidae flatworm Imogine lateotentare is described from Botany Bay, eastern New South Wales, Australia. This flatworm is distinguished from other species in the same genus mainly by having small, transparent and inconspicuous tentacles, densely packed purplish pink flecks at the posterior of the dorsal surface, distinctive purplish red colour gonopores and continuous bands of numerous frontal and cerebral eyes. Feeding and reproductive behaviour in the laboratory are described. This flatworm was found closely associated with the barnacle Balanus variegatus (Darwin, 1854) on which it fed by extending its pharynx over the barnacle opercular and sucking out the flesh but ejecting the cirri. It consumed one Balanus variegatus in a 14‐day observation period and it was observed feeding exclusively at night.     

Five new Polycladida (Platyhelminthes: Acotylea) species from the Aegean Sea with remarks on the prostatic structures

Five species of polyclads, Imogine melihertani sp. nov., Pseudoplanocera izmirensis gen. et sp. nov., Izmira cinari gen. et sp. nov., Izmira turkeyi sp. nov. and Pseudodiscocelis aegeanensis gen. et. sp. nov., were collected in Izmir Bay, Turkey, Aegean Sea. I. melihertani is characterized by an anchor-shaped seminal vesicle, penis papilla, and ciliated male and female atria. P. izmirensis possesses spermiducal bulbs, a free prostatic vesicle, cirrus bulb, armed cirrus and Lang's vesicle. The genus Izmira is established based on the presence of a penis rod, true seminal vesicle, an interpolated prostatic vesicle of atomata-type and vagina bulbosa. Izmira cinari has an elongated body; a pointed penis and the oviducts enter the vagina bulbosa separately. Izmira turkeyi is characterized by an oval body, rod-shaped penis and the oviducts join before entering the vagina. Pseudodiscocelis is characterized by prostatoid organs, a lobed penis and ciliated and glandular cells in the male antrum.     

A new stylochid flatworm (Platyhelminthes,Polycladida) from Victoria,Australia and observations on its biology

There are only four polyclad flatworms currently known from temperate waters of Victoria, Australia, although these turbellarians are common inhabitants of rocky shores. A new stylochid flatworm, Stylochus pygmaeus sp. nov. (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) or oyster leech is described here from Port Philip Bay, Victoria. This flatworm was observed feeding on three species of barnacles by extending its pharynx over its prey and extruding copious amounts of mucus. Worms also preferred to prey on larger‐sized barnacles regardless of the species. Further observations indicated that these worms deposited eggs at night inside empty barnacle shells. Each eggmass was brooded for several days with the worms only moving off to feed. Each egg capsule contained multiple embryos and after 5 or 6 days, positively photo‐tactic, four‐lobed Götte's larvae emerged. Larvae metamorphosed to juvenile flatworms 1–2 weeks post‐hatching but failed to settle and survive.     

Molecular and morphological identification of two new African species of Dugesia (Platyhelminthes,Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from Cameroon

The paper describes two new Dugesia species collected from the rivers Messassi and Ntsetsensooh in Cameroon, representing the first planarian flatworms documented from this country. Based on morphological data, the new species Dugesia bijuga Harrath & Sluys, sp. nov. is characterized mainly by the presence of two diaphragms, a barrel-shaped penis that is traversed by numerous ducts of penis glands and is provided with a short nozzle, and the presence of two atrial folds. The other new species, Dugesia pustulata Harrath & Sluys, sp. nov., is characterized mainly by absence of a penis bulb, presence of a large, elongated and weakly muscular seminal vesicle, and by the ventroposterior section of the bursal canal being thrown into distinct folds. The phylogenetic position of the two new species was determined through a molecular phylogenetic tree, based on a mitochondrial and a nuclear gene, including species from the major geographical range of distribution of the genus Dugesia. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the Cameroon lineage does not constitute a monophyletic group with the other Afrotropical species; it also showed that the African continent may house a great diversity of Dugesia species that still remains to be discovered.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:007441A5-F037-4950-9F5B-AD6ED12A40ED     

Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Pseudomonocelis Meixner, 1943 (Rhabditophora: Proseriata)

A new species of the genus Pseudomonocelis (P. caribbea sp. n.) is described. It is distinguished from congenerics by shape and size of the copulatory organ and relative positions of mouth and genital openings. It is the first species of the genus found in America. Sampling in east Africa (Zanzibar island) revealed two species, attributed to P. pardii and, tentatively, to P. cavernicola, both originally described from Somaliland. Morphological differences between Tanzanian and Somali specimens are reported. The Mediterranean P. ophiocephala, based on extensive morphological and karyological survey of 13 populations, is interpreted as constituting at least two sibling species, distinguishable solely on the basis of karyotype. Results support the notion that the present perception of the contribution of interstitial Rhabditophora to marine biodiversity may be unrepresentative.