Spathula

Spathula
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Dugesiidae
Genus: Spathula
Nurse, 1950
Species

See text

Spathula is a genus of dugesiid triclad. Its species are found in Australia and New Zealand.

Until 1977, Spathula was ranked as a subgenus of Dugesia. The name of the genus derives from the Latin spathula, meaning "broad, flat piece".

Description

Specimens of this genus have a triangular head. Along with this, the genus was originally defined as planarians with "one atrium (undivided) around the penis, into which opens the bursa stalk" and numerous testes.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Spathula

References

  1. ↑ Ball, I. R. (1977). "A monograph of genus Spathula (Platyhelminthes : Turbellaria : Tricladida)". Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 25 (47): 1. doi:10.1071/AJZS047.
  2. ↑ Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, 339-401.
  3. ↑ Nurse, Frances R. 1950. Freshwater triclads new to the fauna of New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 78(4): 410-417.
  4. ↑
    • Tyler S, Schilling S, Hooge M, and Bush LF (comp.) (2006-2012) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.7 Database Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine