Schmidtea polychroa

Schmidtea polychroa
Living specimen of S. polyhcroa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Turbellaria
Order: Tricladida
Suborder: Continenticola
Family: Dugesiidae
Genus: Schmidtea
Species: S. polychroa
Binomial name
Schmidtea polychroa
(Schmidt, 1861)
Synonyms
  • Dugesia (Schmidtea) polychroa (Schmidt, 1861)
  • Dugesia polychroa (Schmidt, 1861)

Schmidtea polychroa is a species of freshwater flatworm, a dugesiid triclad that inhabits the shallow mesotrophic or eutrophic waters of rivers and lakes of Europe. It is also present in North America, where it has been introduced at least in the Saint Lawrence river system.[1][2] It is an animal with a limited dispersion capability.[3]

Diet

Individuals of this species search for food actively; they feed mainly on small invertebrates.[4] They prey preferably on oligochaetes, and also on gastropods.[1]

Reproduction

They are hermaphroditic. Schmidtea polychroa produces cocoons in water temperatures between 10 and 23 °C.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Boddington, M. J.; Mettrick, D. F. (1974). "The distribution, abundance, feeding habits, and population biology of the immigrant triclad Dugesia polychroa (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria) in Toronto Harbour, Canada". Journal of Animal Ecology 43 (3): 681–699. doi:10.2307/3531.
  2. ↑ Kenk, R. (1989). Revised list of the North American freshwater Planarians (Platyhelminthes. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 476, 1-10.
  3. ↑ Pongratz, N.; Gerace, L.; Michiels, N. K. (2002). "Genetic differentiation within and between populations of a hermaphroditic freshwater planarian". Heredity 89 (1): 64–69. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800102. PMID 12080371.
  4. ↑ Calow, P.; Davidson, A. F.; Woollhead, A. S. (1981). "Life-cycle and feeding strategies of freshwater triclads: A synthesis". Journal of Zoology 193 (2): 215–237. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1981.tb03441.x.
  5. ↑ Reynoldson, T. B.; Young, J. O.; Taylor, M. C. (1965). "The Effect of Temperature on the Life-Cycle of Four Species of Lake-Dwelling Triclads". Journal of Animal Ecology 34 (1): 23–43. doi:10.2307/2367.
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