Pseudobiceros

Pseudobiceros

Pseudobiceros gloriosus on Polycarpa aurata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Turbellaria
Order:	Polycladida
Family:	Pseudocerotidae
Genus:	Pseudobiceros

Pseudobiceros is a genus of flatworms. Like all flatworms, Pseudobiceros are hermaphrodites. This particular genus engages in penis fencing. When the "winner" touches its penis to the 'skin' of the other, insemination occurs, and the "loser" has to bear the burden of motherhood.^[1]^[2]

Species

According to WoRMS,^[3] species include:

Pseudobiceros bedfordi (Laidlaw, 1903)
Pseudobiceros cinereus (Palombi, 1931)
Pseudobiceros evelinae (Marcus, 1950)
Pseudobiceros ferrugineus (Hyman, 1959)
Pseudobiceros flavomarginatus (Laidlaw, 1902)
Pseudobiceros fulvogriseus (Hyman, 1959)
Pseudobiceros gardinieri (Laidlaw, 1902)
Pseudobiceros izuensis (Kato, 1944)
Pseudobiceros micronesianus (Hyman, 1955)
Pseudobiceros miniatus (Schmarda, 1859)
Pseudobiceros nigromarginatus (Yeri & Kaburaki, 1918)
Pseudobiceros philippinensis (Kaburaki, 1923)
Pseudobiceros rubrocinctus (Schmarda, 1859)
Pseudobiceros schmardae Faubel, 1984
Pseudobiceros splendidus (Lang, 1884)
Pseudobiceros strigosus (Marcus, 1950)
Pseudobiceros undulatus (Kelaart, 1858)
Pseudobiceros viridis (Kelaart, 1858)

References

↑ Michiels, N.K., and L.J. Newman. (1998). Sex and violence in hermaphrodites. Nature 391:647.
↑ Hermaphrodites duel for manhood, Science News Online. Accessed 14 March 2009.
↑ http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=367782

External links

PBS website with video of Pseudobiceros hancockanus penis-fencing

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pseudobiceros.

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