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Turbellaria are the most common marine carnivorous, free-living flatworms that use cilia to glide across the bottom of the ocean. They are small but stand out due to their striking color patterns and are characterized by their flattened, unsegmented bodies and cephalization. Although they are not parasitic, some live inside or on top of oysters, crabs, and other invertebrates. These species participate in a mating ritual called penis fencing, where they each try to penetrate the other to inject their sperm. The first to succeed and penetrate the other avoids the cost of carrying and developing the eggs.
Defining Characteristics
Defining Characteristics
Dorsoventrally flattened, unsegmented bodies
bilateral symmetry with cephalization
Triploblastic
Acoelomate
no body cavity
Cilia
used for locomotion
No circulatory system
Highly branched gastrovascular cavity
Ladder-like nervous system
Protonephridia
Contains flame cells for osmoregulation
Free-living and carnivourous
Reproductive Adaptations
Asexual Reproduction
Binary fission
Regeneration
Sexual Reproduction
Hermaphroditic
Internal fertilization
Penis fencing behavior
Typically cross-fertilize
Some can self-fertilize
Where are they found?
Where are they found?
They are found mostly in shallow coastal waters on ocean floors, under rocks, or in coral reefs
Some are found in intertida zones
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