Turbellaria

Turbellaria is a historical term for a group of non-parasitic flatworms, which are now classified into several different groups. The term is no longer used in scientific taxonomy.

Overview

The Turbellaria are one of the traditional sub-divisions of the phylum of flatworms, the Platyhelminthes. They include a highly diverse group of mainly free-living but some parasitic species, distributed globally in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. The group, as traditionally defined, is a paraphyletic assemblage of lineages, because it excludes the wholly parasitic Neodermata.

Classification

The Turbellaria are probably best considered a series of lineages, with the Dalytyphloplanida, the Maricola and the Catenulida as the most basal of these. The rest of the "Turbellaria" are part of the Rhabditophora. The majority of species belong to the orders Macrostomida, Polycladida, Lecithoepitheliata, Proseriata, Tricladida, Rhabdocoela and Fecampiida.

Morphology

The Turbellaria encompass a range of sizes from microscopic to over a metre in length. Most are free-living forms that feed on small invertebrates, but some are parasitic on other animals. They are dorso-ventrally flattened and are covered with cilia, which helps them move.

Reproduction

Most Turbellaria are capable of regenerating lost body parts. In many species, individuals can be cut into pieces, with each piece growing into a complete organism. They are also capable of asexual reproduction through a process called fission.

See also

• Flatworm
• Platyhelminthes
• Neodermata

References

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