Freshwater planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from the Iberian Peninsula and Greece: diversity and notes on ecology
Author
Vila-Farré, Miquel
Author
Sluys, Ronald
Author
Almagro, Ío
Author
Handberg-Thorsager, Mette
Author
Romero, Rafael
text
Zootaxa
2011
2779
1
38
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.206798
f362f4e9-0219-45a1-a498-6f04a5483c9e
1175-5326
206798
Phagocata
sp.
(
Figs. 1
,
14
)
Comparative discussion.
Phagocata vitta
is widely distributed in Europe, with the exception of the Alps,
Italy
and the Balkan Peninsula, where it is replaced by other species (
Ball & Reynoldson, 1981
). Its main characteristics are an absence of pigmentation (similar to
Ph
.
sp.
Fig. 14
), the dilatation of the ejaculatory duct that forms a characteristic cavity, and the presence of only one retinal cell in each eye (Sluys
et al.
1995). Reproduction may be sexual or asexual by fission. We never observed sexually mature specimens during our samplings and therefore we refrain from assigning these Iberian populations to
Ph
. vitta
.