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flatworms
text index | photo
index
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worms > Phylum Platyhelminthes >
Class
Turbellaria > Order Polycladida
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| White-orange
black flatworms Pseudobiceros uniarborensis* Family Pseudocerotidae updated Sep 09 Where seen? This elegant flatworm is sometimes seen on coral rubble near living reefs on many of our Southern shores. Features: 5-8cm long. Body dark brown to black, edges have a narrow white outer edge on a transparent border with a narrow orange line just before the black body colour. There is a ridge on along the centre of the body, and a short white stripe on the head. It has a pair of erect pseudotentacles at the front made up of folded edges of the body. The pseudotentacles have white edges at the pointed tips. The edge of the body is slightly ruffled. According to Leslie Harris, this is possibly Pseudobiceros uniarborensis. Another worm that looks very similar is Pseudobiceros hancockanus which has an outer margin that is solid bright white; the outer margin of Pseudobiceros uniarborensis is translucent gray with a white line on the outside. The members of the genus Pseudobiceros have two penises! |
 Kusu Island, May 05  Short white stripe on the head. |
 Pulau Hantu, Sep 08 |
 It can swim! |
 Upper and underside. |
Orange-edged black flatworms on Singapore shores
 St. John's Island, Jan 06 |
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 Tanah Merah, Aug 09 |
 Swimming. |
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 Pulau Semakau, Sep 05 |
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*Tentative identification. Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.
| Acknowledgement With grateful thanks to Leslie H. Harris of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for comments on this worm and its identification. References
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CSIRO Publishing. 97pp.|
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