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worms > Phylum Platyhelminthes > Class Turbellaria > Order Polycladida
Lightning flatworm
Pseudobiceros fulgor *
Family Pseudocerotidae
updated Feb 2020

Where seen? This flatworm with a crackle of fine lines is often seen on our shores, on coral rubble and near reefs. 'Fulgor' means 'brilliant' or 'flashy' or 'lightning' and 'splendor' in Latin.

Features: 8-10cm long. Usually with deep ruffles. Body red, brown to black, with fine white parallel lines from the centre to the sides. Black wide margin with fine white lines parallel to the edge.The underside is plain pink with wide plain black margin. It has a pair of pseudotentacles that are ear-like and pointed and made up of simple folded edges of the body. Juveniles may have fewer lines.

Chek Jawa, Jul 18


Underside plain pink.

Erect pseudotentacles.

Black wide margin with fine lines.

Underside with wide black margin.
Worm floating on water surface, then crawls when reaching a seagrass blade. Is this how it moves longer distances than it could by crawling slowly?
Lightning flatworm (Pseudobiceros fulgor)

Lightning flatworms on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Changi, Dec 17
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Changi, Dec 18
Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook.

Changi Carpark 7, May 21
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Pulau Sekudu, Aug 13
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Pulau Sekudu, May 09

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.


Chek Jawa, Jul 13

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.



Seringat-Kias, Nov 14

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Seringat-Kias, Nov 14

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Lazarus Island, Jan 24

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Sentosa Serapong, May 24
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Big Sisters Island, Feb 24

Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on facebook.

Pulau Semakau (East), Dec 20

Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Beting Bemban Besar, Nov 18

Photo shared by Jesselyn Chua on facebook.


Pulau Hantu, May 19

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


St John's Island, Jan 20

Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Big Sisters Island, Jan 20

Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Pulau Semakau, Feb 08

Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on her flickr.


Terumbu Bemban, Jul 18

Photo shared by Liz Lim on facebook.

Terumbu Bemban, Jun 17

Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook.


Pulau Semakau, Nov 12

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Terumbu Semakau, Nov 12

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Terumbu Semakau, Aug 17

Photo shared by Jonathan Tan on facebook.


Terumbu Pempang Kecil, Jan 15

Photo shared by Jerome Lim on his blog.

Pulau Berkas, Feb 22

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Acknowledgement
Grateful thanks to Rene Ong for sharing details and identifying the flatworms on this page.

References
  • Rene S.L. Ong and Samantha J.W. Tong. 29 October 2018. A preliminary checklist and photographic catalogue of polyclad flatworms recorded from Singapore. Nature in Singapore 2018 11: 77–125.
  • D. M. Bolaños, B. Q. Gan & R. S. L. Ong. 29 Jun 2016. First records of pseudocerotid flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Cotylea) from Singapore: A taxonomic report with remarks on colour variation.(pdf) The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement No. 34: 130-169  Pp. 130-169.
  • Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. Nine new species of Pseudobiceros (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from Indo-Pacific. Pp. 341-368. in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology vol 45.
  • Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawaii exclusive of the vertebrates Sea Challengers. 314pp.
  • Newman, Leslie and Lester Cannon. 2003. Marine Flatworms: The World of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing. 97pp.
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