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worms > Phylum Platyhelminthes > Class Turbellaria > Order Polycladida
Halloween flatworm
Pseudobiceros sp. 5*
Family Pseudocerotidae
updated Feb 2020

Where seen? This black flatworm with orange and white ruffled margins is all ready for Halloween. It is sometimes seen on the reefs of some Southern shores.

Features: 5-8cm long. Body black with broad white and orange margins. Sometimes three narrow white parallel lines in the centre starting from the head, fading towards the end of the body, the two outer lines wider, the central line much narrower. Underside black with orange margins. It has a pair of pseudotentacles that are squarish and ruffled on the sides.

St John's Island, Nov 12

Pulau Biola, Dec 09
Pseudotentacles squarish, ruffled on the sides.
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.

Underside.
Beting Bemban Besar, Nov 18
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.

*
Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.

Halloween flatworms on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Sentosa Serapong, Apr 19
Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook.

Lazarus Island, Nov 22
Photo shared by Richard Kuah on facebook.
 


Big Sisters Island, Sep 20
Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook.

Big SIsters Island, Feb 22
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Pulau Jong, Aug 21
Photo shared by Jianlin Lia on facebook.

Pulau Jong, Aug 20
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Pulau Jong, Jun 18
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Pulau Semakau, Feb 09
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.

Pulau Semakau (North), Jul 22
Photo shared by James Koh on facebook.

Terumbu Semakau, Apr 21
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Terumbu Semakau, May 18
Photo shared by Lisa Lim on facebook.

Terumbu Semakau, Dec 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.


Beting Bemban Besar, Nov 18
Photo shared by Jesselyn Chua on facebook.

Terumbu Raya, May 24
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.


Terumbu Bemban, Apr 24
Photo shared by Che Cheng Neo on facebook.

Terumbu Bemban, Jul 18
Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook.


Terumbu Pempang Kecil, Jan 15
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook.

Terumbu Pempang Laut, Aug 16
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.


Pulau Berkas, Feb 22
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Pulau Salu, Apr 21
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Acknowledgements
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.
 
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