| Girardia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Girardia sp. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Platyhelminthes |
| Order: | Tricladida |
| Family: | Dugesiidae |
| Genus: | Girardia Ball, 1974 |
| Species | |
Girardia is a genus of freshwater planarians belonging to the family Dugesiidae.
The genus Girardia is endemic to the Americas, from Argentina to Canada, although most species occur in South America. The only two species known to occur naturally in North America, Girardia tigrina and Girardia dorotocephala, have been introduced in other continents and islands. [1]
Species of Girardia are very similar to species of other genera of Dugesiidae and few apomorphies that clearly define the genus are known. [1] One of the few exclusive characteristics is the presence of pigment granules in the outer pharyngeal wall. [2]
Until 1991 Girardia was considered a subgenus of Dugesia , then it was upgraded to the genus rank. [2] However, some works continued to use the old genus for some Girardia species, mainly for Girardia dorotocephala and Girardia tigrina . [3] [4] [5] [6]
Phylogenetic tree including five dugesiid genera after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008: [13]
| Dugesiidae |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dugesia is a genus of dugesiid triclads that contains some common representatives of the class Turbellaria. These common flatworms are found in freshwater habitats of Africa, Eurasia, and Australia. Dugesia is best known to non-specialists because of its regeneration capacities.
The Lake Pedder planarian is a species of invertebrate in the family Dugesiidae.
Romankenkius is a genus of freshwater planarian in the family Dugesiidae.
Geoplanidae is a family of flatworms known commonly as land planarians or land flatworms.
Bipalium is a genus of large predatory land planarians. They are often loosely called "hammerhead worms" or "broadhead planarians" because of the distinctive shape of their head region. Land planarians are unique in that they possess a "creeping sole", a highly ciliated region on the ventral epidermis that helps them to creep over the substrate. Native to Asia, several species are invasive to the United States, Canada, and Europe. Some studies have begun the investigation of the evolutionary ecology of these invasive planarians.
Dugesiidae is a family of freshwater planarians distributed worldwide. The type genus is Dugesia Girard, 1850.
Dugesia notogaea is a species of dugesiid triclad that inhabits freshwater bodies of north Queensland, Australia.
Dugesia sicula is a species of dugesiid triclad that lives in freshwater bodies of the Mediterranean Basin, where it is widely distributed. It has been reported from Sicily, Elba and Mallorca, Eivissa, Sardinia, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Crete.
Geoplanoidea is a superfamily of freshwater and land triclads that comprises the species of the Geoplanidae and the Dugesiidae families.
Dugesia japonica is a species of freshwater planarian that inhabits freshwater bodies of East Asia, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and northeastern Siberia. However, molecular studies suggest that Dugesia japonica is polyphyletic and different populations across its area of occurrence constitute distinct species.
Cura is a genus of freshwater flatworm (triclad)s belonging to the family Dugesiidae.
Dimarcusidae is a family of triclads found mostly in freshwater habitats of caves, although at least one species, Rhodax evelinae, occurs in surface waters. Currently the family contains only seven species distributed in five genera, although the total number of species is thought to be much higher.
Microplaninae is a subfamily of land planarians.
Neppia is a genus of dugesiid triclad that is found in South America, Subantarctic region, Africa, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Geoplaninae is a subfamily of land planarians endemic to the Neotropical region. Members of this family are sometimes referred to as the Neotropical land planarians. However, one species, Obama nungara has been introduced in Europe.
Luteostriata is a genus of land planarians from Brazil characterized by a yellow body with dark longitudinal stripes.
Obama is a genus of land planarians from South America. It contains several species adapted to human-disturbed environments, including the only invasive land planarian native to the Neotropical realm, Obama nungara, which has been accidentally introduced in Europe.
The reproductive system of planarians is broadly similar among different families, although the associated structures can vary in complexity.
Pasipha is a genus of land planarians from South America.
Geoplanini is a tribe of land planarians in the subfamily Geoplaninae.
