Symsagittifera roscoffensis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
iSymsagittifera roscoffensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Phylum: Acoelomorpha
Class: Acoela
Order: Acoela
Family: Sagittiferidae
Genus: Symsagittifera
Species: Symsagittifera roscoffensis

Symsagittifera roscoffensis, formerly called Convoluta roscoffensis, is a free-living acoelomorph worm.

Contents

[edit] Appearance

Symsagittifera roscoffensis is a small (about 15 mm long) flat worm. Due to the algae, Tetraselmis convolutae living in its body cavity, it has green colour.

[edit] Ecology and distribution

In its adult stage, the worm has no mouth and hence never eats. Instead it lives off of the excesses of its symbiotic algae, (Tetraselmis convolutae), which live inside of it. The worm provides shelter and some nutritional benefits in return.

The worm can be found in sheltered sand beaches on the southern coast of English Channel.

[edit] Significance to humans

Symsagittifera roscoffensis is one of the model organisms for studying the development of bilaterians.

[edit] External links

 This invertebrate-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/y/m/Symsagittifera_roscoffensis.html"