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flatworms
text index | photo
index
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worms > Phylum Platyhelminthes >
Class
Turbellaria > Order Polycladida
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| Brown
striped flatworm Pseudobiceros gratus Family Pseudocerotidae updated Nov 08 Where seen? This flatworm with a bold stripe down the centre is often encountered on coral rubble near living reefs. They appear to be seasonal, with several encountered during a visit, and then not at all for some time. Features: 5-10cm long. These worms have a pair of erect pseudotentacles on the front made up of folded edges of the body. Grouped in this entry are flatworms that look very similar. But they might be different species. These flatworms have a body that is light pinkish to orangey brown with darker brown to black margins and dark-brown stripe with diffuse white edges along the middle of the body. The margins are often highly ruffled showing a pale underside. One seen was nearly transparent when it held its body flat against the surface. Leslie Harris highlighted that the ones with white lines on the inside of the margin and outside the dark centre line are listed as Pseudobiceros cf gratus in Newman & Cannon. |
 Sisters Islands, Mar 06  Head with pseudotentacles.  Underside |
Brown flatworms on Singapore shores
 Pulau Hantu, Apr 06 |
 Drops off parts of the body when stressed. |
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 Pulau Hantu, Jan 06 |
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 Body may be nearly transparent. |
 Chek Jawa, Jul 05  |
 Chek Jawa, Nov 01  |
 Labrador, Oct 04  |
video clips and more photos of brown striped flatworms on Singapore shores
northern shores | southern shores
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Acknowledgement With grateful thanks to Leslie H. Harris of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for comments on this worm. References
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CSIRO Publishing. 97pp.|
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