| Common Name |
Flatworm |
| Phylum |
Platyhelminthes |
| Class |
Turbellaria |
| Order |
|
| Family |
|
| Description |
5-20mm, range <1-30mm. The body is soft, elongate, flattened, and without individual segments. They usually have two eyespots on the top of the head, giving a "cross-eyed" appearance. Alive Turbellaria are light-avoidant and creep/glide along surfaces. Most are grey-brown but turn creamy white when preserved. For more photos, refer to our online gallery: tinyurl.com/vrwhqhx |
| Habitat |
Most live in lentic-littoral or lotic-depositional habitats. Turbellaria are usually only found in shallow waters but some can live in waters as deep as 100m. Most live only on solid substrate in springs, streams, marshes, pools, ponds, and lakes. |
| Feeding Information |
Piercer-predators, engulfer-predators, and collector-gatherers. They primarily prey upon soft-bodied invertebrates. All Turbellaria scavenge, especially of dead animal matter. |
| Water Quality Tolerance |
Most are somewhat tolerant, but others are somewhat sensitive. If flatworms make up a high proportion of collected invertebrates, that's usually a reliable indicator of organic matter or nutrient pollution. |
| References |
Voshell & Wright. 2002. |
