Ryan Photographic - Platyhelminthes - Flatworms, tapeworms and trematodes
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Phylum Platyhelminthes
The phylum Platyhelminthes incorporates four major sub-groups; the turbellaria, the cestoda, monogenea and the trematoda.
The animals pictured here are all turbellarians (at least so far). These are the free-living flatworms. They are almost all predators and their widespread presence suggests that they are pretty good at it. They lack a through gut and must eliminate wastes through their mouth. They are all hermaphroditic and in some of the marine species undertake an extraordinary behavior referred to as penis fencing. Reproductive adults joust with each other trying to inseminate the other through one of two dagger-like penises. Losers are often left with jagged wounds and the burden of motherhood as the eggs are fertilized. But it is often more traumatic than that - the injected sperm make a beeline for eggs, often damaging internal organs along the way. This bizarre behavior can be seen here.
Freshwater turbellarians such as the Neppia species pictured below are capable of amazing acts of regeneration. If a cut is made down the middle of the head they will grow two new heads. If two cuts are made they will grow three heads!
Eurylepta species?
WORM 1500 Eurylepta species? Raja Ampat West Papua.
Leptoplana brunnea brown flatworm
Leptoplana brunnea brown flatworm, Soames Island, New Zealand IMG_0145
Maiazoon orsaki Orsak's flatworm
Maiazoon orsaki Orsak's flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_1029
Neppia montana Freshwater planarian
Neppia montana Freshwater planarian, Cass, New Zealand
Pseudobiceros bifurcus Flatworm
Pseudoceros bifurcus Racing stripe flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_2282
Pseudobiceros gloriosus Glorious flatworm
Pseudobiceros gloriosus, Glorious flatworm, Kadavu, Fiji.
Click here for a brief video of a flatworm moving
Pseudobiceros (bedfordi?) flatworm
Pseudobiceros (bedfordi?) flatworm Kadavu, Fiji
Pseudobiceros? flatworm
Pseudobiceros? flatworm Kadavu, Fiji
Pseudoceros dimidiatus Tiger flatworm
Pseudoceros dimidiatus Tiger flatworm Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_2604
Pseudoceros dimidiatus, Tiger or divided flatworm Kadavu, Fiji
Pseudoceros ferrugineus Fuschia Flatworm
Pseudoceros ferrugineus Fuschia flatworm
Pseudoceros ferrugineus, Fuschia flatworm, Kona, Hawaii-IMG_5870
Pseudoceros lindae Linda's flatworm
Pseudoceros lindae Linda's flatworm Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_0665
Pseudoceros lindae Linda's Flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_0666
Pseudoceros species 1
Pseudoceros species Raja Ampat IMG_0829
Pseudoceros species, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat IMG_7822
Pseudoceros species 2
Pseudoceros species, Kri, Raja Ampat IMG_78344
Pseudoceros? species 3
Pseudoceros? species 3, swimming, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_2259
Swimming flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_2260
Thysanozoon nigropapillosum, Gold-speckled flatworm
Thysanozoon nigropapillosum, Gold-speckled flatworm, Taveuni, Fiji-7473
Thysanozoon nigropapillosum, swimming flatworm, Taveuni, Fiji-7460
Thysanozoon nigropapillosum, swimming flatworm, Taveuni, Fiji-7461
Unidentified flatworm
Unidentified flatworm Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_1514
Unidentified flatworm
Unidentified flatworm on sponge Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_1928
Unidentified flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua
Unidentified flatworm
Unidentified flatworm, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat IMG_7778
Unidentified flatworm
Unidentified flatworm, Raja Ampat, West Papua IMG_1881
Unidentified flatworm
Unidentified flatworm, Taveuni, Fiji IMG_3979
Waminoa flatworms
Waminoa flatworm and isopods on coral Kri Eco, Raja Ampat IMG_8532
Waminoa species Kri Eco, Raja Ampat IMG_8526
Waminoa flatworms
Waminoa flatworms on bubble coral, Puerto Galera, Philippines IMG_4908
Waminoa flatworms
Waminoa species acoel flatworm Puerto Galera, Philippines IMG_5671
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