Tricladida

Tricladida
Dugesia subtentaculata, a dugesiid.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Rhabditophora
Order:	Tricladida Lang, 1884
Suborders[1]
Maricola Cavernicola Continenticola

Tricladida (triclads)^[2] is an order of turbellarians, a group of free-living flatworms. They are also known as planarians, although this common name is also used for a wide number of free-living platyhelminthes.^[3]

The triclads are characterized by triply branched intestine and anteriorly situated ovaries, next to the brain.

Today the order Tricladida is split into three suborders, according to their phylogenetic relationships: Maricola, Cavernicola and Continenticola. Formerly, the Tricladida was split according to habitats: Maricola, which is marine; Paludicola, which inhabits freshwater; and Terricola, which is land-dwelling.^[4]

Description

The triclads have an anterior end or head where sense organs, such as eyes and chemoreceptors, are usually found. Some species have auricles that protude from the margins of the head. The auricles can contain chemical and mechanical sensory receptors.^[5]

The number of eyes in the triclads is variable depending on the species. While many species have two eyes (e.g. Dugesia or Microplana), others have many more distributed along the body (e.g. most Geoplaninae). Sometimes, those species with two eyes may present smaller accessory or supernumerary eyes. The subterranean triclads are often eyeless or blind.^[5]

The body of the triclads is covered by a ciliated epidermis that contains rhabdites. Between the epidermis and the gastrodermis there is a parenchymatous tissue or mesenchyme.^[5]

Reproduction

Many species can use both asexual and sexual reproduction. Most of the triclads are hermaphrodites, the same individual has both male and female sexual organs at the same time. In most of the cases the sexual reproduction involve two individuals, autofecundation has been rarely reported (e.g. in Cura foremanii).^[5]

Phylogeny and taxonomy

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic supertree after Sluys et al., 2009:^[1]

Tricladida	Maricola Cavernicola Continenticola Planarioidea Planariidae Kenkiidae Dendrocoelidae Geoplanoidea Dugesiidae Geoplanidae

Taxonomy

Sabussowia ronaldi, a Maricola.

Polycelis felina, a planariid.

Platydemus manokwari, a geoplanid.

Linnaean ranks after Sluys et al., 2009:^[1]

• Order Tricladida
  • Suborder Maricola
    • Superfamily Cercyroidea
      • Family Centrovarioplanidae
      • Family Cercyridae
      • Family Meixnerididae
    • Superfamily Bdellouroidea
      • Family Uteriporidae
      • Family Bdellouridae
    • Superfamily Procerodoidea
      • Family Procerodidae
  • Suborder Cavernicola^[6]
    • Family Dimarcusidae
  • Suborder Continenticola
    • Superfamily Planarioidea
      • Family Planariidae
      • Family Dendrocoelidae
      • Family Kenkiidae
    • Superfamily Geoplanoidea
      • Family Dugesiidae
      • Family Geoplanidae

References

1. Sluys, R.; Kawakatsu, M.; Riutort, M.; Baguñà, J. (2009). "A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida)". Journal of Natural History 43 (29–30): 1763–1777. doi:10.1080/00222930902741669.
2. "Tricladida". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
3. "Planarian (flatworm) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
4. Hallez P. (1892). Classification des Ticlades, Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France.
5. Kenk, R., 1972. Freshwater planarians (Turbellarians) of North America.
6. Sluys, R. (1990). "A monograph of the Dimarcusidae (Platyhelminthes, Seriata, Tricladida)". Zoologica Scripta 19 (1): 13–29. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.1990.tb00237.x.

External links

External identifiers for Tricladida
WoRMS	142028

• Tricladida on the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
• Land planarians on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site