Spathula

Spathula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Order:	Tricladida
Family:	Dugesiidae
Genus:	Spathula; Nurse, 1950
Species
	See text

Spathula is a genus of dugesiid triclad. Its species are found in Australia and New Zealand.

Until 1977, Spathula was ranked as a subgenus of Dugesia.¹ The name of the genus derives from the Latin spathula, meaning "broad, flat piece".

Description

Specimens of this genus have a triangular head.² Along with this, the genus was originally defined as planarians with "one atrium (undivided) around the penis, into which opens the bursa stalk" and numerous testes.³

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Spathula⁴

Spathula agelaea Hay & Ball, 1979
Spathula alba Allison, 1997
Spathula camara Ball, 1977
Spathula dittae Ball & Tran, 1979
Spathula foeni Ball, 1977
Spathula fontinalis (Nurse, 1950)
Spathula gourbaultae Ball, 1977
Spathula limicola (Nurse, 1950)
Spathula miserabile Sluys & Grant, 2006
Spathula musculosa Sluys & Grant, 2006
Spathula neara Ball, 1977
Spathula ochyra Ball & Tran, 1979
Spathula schauinslandi (Neppi, 1904)
Spathula simplex Sluys & Grant, 2006
Spathula truculenta Ball, 1977
Spathula trunculata Ball, 1977
Spathula tryssa Ball, 1977

References

Ball, I. R. (1977). "A monograph of genus Spathula (Platyhelminthes : Turbellaria : Tricladida)". Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 25 (47): 1. doi:10.1071/AJZS047.
Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, 339-401.
Nurse, Frances R. 1950. Freshwater triclads new to the fauna of New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 78(4): 410-417.
*Tyler S, Schilling S, Hooge M, and Bush LF (comp.) (2006-2012) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.7 Database Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Ball, I. R. (1977). "A monograph of genus Spathula (Platyhelminthes : Turbellaria : Tricladida)". Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 25 (47): 1. doi:10.1071/AJZS047.

[Ball74-2] Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, 339-401.

[nurse1950-3] Nurse, Frances R. 1950. Freshwater triclads new to the fauna of New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 78(4): 410-417.

[4] *Tyler S, Schilling S, Hooge M, and Bush LF (comp.) (2006-2012) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.7 Database Archived 2012-02-04 at the Wayback Machine

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