Eurylepta

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Eurylepta
Eurylepta sp.jpg
Eurylepta sp.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Polycladida
Family: Euryleptidae
Genus: Eurylepta
Ehrenberg, 1831 [1]
Type species
Eurylepta cornuta

Eurylepta is a genus of free-living marine flatworms (polyclads) in the family Euryleptidae.

Contents

Characteristics

Eurylepta is a morphologically diverse [3] group of flatworms in the class Turbellaria that live freely in marine environments, as opposed to parasitic flatworms of other classes (Monogenea, Trematoda, Cestoda). [4] The genus was originally described as flat, with a discrete mouth and anus, eye clusters on the neck, two tentaculiform folds at the front, and a posterior ovary. [1] Eurylepta are hermaphroditic, possessing an armed penis with a tubular stylet. [5] Further characteristics include a forward-pointing pharynx, the mouth directly behind the brain, and a lack of digestive tract. [6] Not much of their feeding habits has been recorded, however, Eurylepta leoparda is a well-known predator of ascidians. [7] [8]

Taxonomy & Distribution

Ehrenberg first described the genus Eurylepta along with two new species, E. praetexta and E. flavomarginata, which have since been moved to the Prostheceraeus and Pseudoceros genera respectively. [1] Ehrenberg and Hemprich observed the individuals among corals in the Red Sea, during their travels in Arabia. Since then, new species of Eurylepta have been described in off-shore marine environments globally. Georeferenced records and observations can be found in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and iNaturalist.

Below are the 18 accepted species under the genus Eurylepta, according to the World Register of Marine Species .

SpeciesDistribution [9] Image
Eurylepta alba (Freeman, 1933) [10] West Coast of America
Eurylepta alicula Pitale & Apte, 2021 [11] West Coast of India, Andaman Islands
Eurylepta aurantiaca Heath & McGregor, 1912 [12] Global Distribution
Eurylepta aurantiaca 3.jpg
Eurylepta baeckstroemi (Bock, 1923) [13] Northeastern Pacific, Chilean Coast
Eurylepta californica Hyman, 1959 [14] West Coast of America
Eurylepta californica.jpg
Eurylepta cornuta (O. F. Müller, 1776) [2] European Coasts
Eurylepta cornuta 2.jpg
Eurylepta fulvolimbata Grube, 1867Central South Pacific
Eurylepta guayota Cuadrado, Moro & Norena, 2017 [5] Canary Islands
Eurylepta herberti Kirk, 1882 Cook Strait, near South Pacific
Eurylepta leoparda Freeman, 1933 [10] West Coast of America
Eurylepta leoparda.jpg
Eurylepta meridiana (Ritter-Zahony, 1907)Southeastern Pacific, Chilean Coast
Eurylepta multicelis (Hyman, 1955) [15] Florida, North Atlantic
Eurylepta multicelis.png
Eurylepta neptis Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1955 [16] Brazilian Coast, South Atlantic
Eurylepta pantherina Grube, 1867Central South Pacific
Eurylepta piscatoria (Marcus, 1947)Brazilian Coast, South Atlantic
Eurylepta rugosa (Hyman, 1959) [17] Palau Islands, Central Indo-Pacific
Eurylepta rugosa.png
Eurylepta turma Marcus, 1952Brazilian Coast, South Atlantic
Eurylepta violacea (Kelaart, 1858)Indian Ocean

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ehrenberg, C. G. (1831). "Phytozoa Turbellaria africana et asiatica". Symbolae Physicae. Animalia Evertebrata Exclusis Insectis percensuit Dr. C. G. Ehrenberg. Series Prima cum Tabularum Decade Prima. Berolino Ex Officina Academica. p. 56.
  2. 1 2 Müller, O. F. (1776). Zoologiae Danicae Prodromus, seu Animalium Daniae et Norvegiae Indigenarum. p. 221.
  3. ↑ Rawlinson, Kate A.; Litvaitis, Marian K. (2008). "Cotylea (Polycladida): a cladistic analysis of morphology" . Invertebrate Biology. 127 (2): 121–138. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7410.2007.00119.x. ISSN   1744-7410.
  4. ↑ Shinn, George L. (2017-12-31), "Phylum Platyhelminthes with an Emphasis on Class Turbellaria", Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates of the Northern Pacific Coast, University of Washington Press, pp. 114–128, ISBN   978-0-295-74324-0 , retrieved 2025-04-09
  5. 1 2 Cuadrado, Daniel; Moro, Leopoldo; NoreñA, Carolina (2017-08-28). "The Polycladida (Platyhelminthes) of the Canary Islands. New genus, species and records" . Zootaxa. 4312 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4312.1.2. ISSN   1175-5334.
  6. ↑ BULNES, VERONICA N.; FAUBEL, ANNO (2003-06-26). "Eutheama forrestensis n. sp. (Acotylea, Polycladida, Plathelminthes) from Australia" . Zootaxa. 220 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.220.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334.
  7. ↑ Kincaid, Erin S.; de Rivera, Catherine E. (2021-05-01). "Predators Associated with Marinas Consume Indigenous over Non-indigenous Ascidians" . Estuaries and Coasts. 44 (3): 579–588. doi:10.1007/s12237-020-00793-2. ISSN   1559-2731.
  8. ↑ Lambert, Gretchen (1968). "The general ecology and growth of a solitary ascidian, corella willmeriana". The Biological Bulletin. 135 (2): 296–307. doi:10.2307/1539783. ISSN   0006-3185.
  9. ↑ Pitale, Reshma; Apte, Deepak (2021-10-01). "Further addition to the Indian fauna of Euryleptidae (Polycladida: Cotylea) with description of a new Cycloporus Lang, 1884 and Eurylepta Ehrenberg, 1831" . Zootaxa. 5052 (4): 486–500. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5052.4.2. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   34810859.
  10. 1 2 Freeman, Daniel (1933). "The Polyclads of the San Juan Region of Puget Sound" . Transactions of the American Microscopical Society. 52 (2): 107–146. doi:10.2307/3222188. ISSN   0003-0023.
  11. ↑ Pitale, Reshma; Apte, Deepak (2021-10-18). "Further addition to the Indian fauna of Euryleptidae (Polycladida: Cotylea) with description of a new Cycloporus Lang, 1884 and Eurylepta Ehrenberg, 1831" . Zootaxa. 5052 (4): 486–500. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5052.4.2. ISSN   1175-5334.
  12. ↑ Uttal-Cooke, Lisa. Feeding habits of the midwater polychaete, Poeobius meseres (Heath, 1930) in Monterey Bay, California (Thesis). San Jose State University Library.
  13. ↑ Sixten, Bock (1924). "Polycladen aus Juan Fernandez". In Skottsberg, Carl (ed.). The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island. Vol. III. Part III. Almqvist & Wiksell. pp. 362–370.
  14. ↑ Hyman, Libbie H. (June 17, 1959). "Some Turbellaria from the Coast of California". American Museum Novitates (1943): 11–12.
  15. ↑ Hyman, Libbie H. (1955). "Some Polyclad Flatworms From The West Indies And Florida" (PDF). Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 104 (3341). Smithsonian Institution: 139–141.
  16. ↑ Marcus, Eveline du Bois-Reymond (1955-12-01). "On Turbellaria and polygordius from the brazilian coast". Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo. Zoologia (in Portuguese). 20 (20): 19–65. doi: 10.11606/issn.2526-3382.bffclzoologia.1955.120211 . ISSN   2526-3382.
  17. ↑ Hyman, Libbie H. (1959). "A Further Study of Micronesian Polyclad Flatworms" (PDF). Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 108 (3410). Smithsonian Institution: 585–587.
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