Freshwater planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from the Palearctic section of the African continent: new records, with the description of a new species

Abstract

On the basis of extensive surveys, an update is provided on the diversity, taxonomy, anatomy, and geographic distributionof five species of North African freshwater planarians, including the description of one new species. The new species Dug-esia tubqalis Harrath & Sluys, sp. nov. is mainly characterized by the following features: an elongated penis surroundedwith two penial folds at its base, the dorsal one bigger than the ventral ; an atrium divided into a male and common atriumby a kind of non-muscular ridge; a terminal expansion of the ejaculatory duct just before it opens at the tip of the penispapilla. The record of Dugesia sicula represents the first fully documented record of a naturally sexual, diploid (2n=18)population in North Africa. The first finding of Polycelis nigra on the African continent is documented. The genus Polyce-lis is recorded here with two species, Polycelis nigra and Polycelis felina. We also noted the presence of Schmidtea polychroa, which is widespread in Europe and introduced in North America.

Diversification and biogeographic history of the Western Palearctic freshwater flatworm genusSchmidtea(Tricladida: Dugesiidae), with a redescription ofSchmidtea nova

“…However, such a constriction occurs not only in S. nova but also in S. lugubris , S. polychroa , and S. mediterranea (cf. Luther, ; Figure 4; Harrath, Charni, Sluys, Zghal, & Tekaya, ; Figure 1; Harrath et al., , Figure 6).…”

“…These welldeveloped papillae or nipples are unique to S. nova, albeit that occasionally specimens of S. polychroa may show the anterior nipple, but then only weakly developed (cf. Harrath et al, 2012, Figure 6).…”

“…Mediterranean islands together with two localities on the coasts of Bibliography - Pongratz et al (2003) and references therein -Vila-Farr e et al ( ) -Harrath et al (2012 -L azaro et al (2011) and references therein - Benazzi & Puccinelli (1973) and references therein -Baas (1986) - Pongratz et al (2003) -GenBank Acc. AF290022 -GenBank Acc.…”

A molecular analysis of the phylogenetic position of the suborder Cavernicola within the Tricladida (Platyhelminthes), with the description of a new species of stygobiont flatworm from Benin

“…Although stygobiont freshwater triclads have received a good deal of attention (cf. Gourbault, , and references therein), many more studies have been published on planarians from epigean freshwaters, which have been extensively studied from all over the world (Sluys, Kawakatsu & Winsor, ; Sluys et al ., ; Lazaro et al ., ; Harrath et al ., ; Harrath et al ., ; Stocchino, Sluys & Manconi, ; Sluys, Kawakatsu & Timoshkin, ; Álvarez‐Presas & Riutort, ).…”

Dugesia sicula (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida): the colonizing success of an asexual Planarian

“…D. sicula was subsequently found on the islands of Elba [ 2 ] and Mallorca [ 3 ]. None of the originally described sexual populations can be currently found [ 4 ]; but, some sexual populations in northern Africa (Tunisia and Algeria) have been recently reported [ 5 - 7 ]. Moreover, a molecular-based study [ 8 ] showed that most of the numerous fissiparous populations of genus Dugesia present in the western Mediterranean belong to D. sicula .…”