Acanthozoon

Acanthozoon is a genus of flatworm polyclads belonging to the Pseudocerotidae family.

Description

The genus Acanthozoon is physically characterized by a dorsal side with small raised papillae and ruffled edges. Their body is elongate oval. The species of this genus have a complex and very folded pharynx. They also have small pseudo-tentacles that prick up like ears. Because of their papillaed upper surface, they are easily confused with species from the genus Thysanozoon, which are also endowed with dorsal papillae. However Acanthozoon possess only a single male copulative organ contrary to Thysanozoon.^[1]

Biology

This genus live in warm tropical marine waters. They are benthic and carnivorous.

Species list

According to the Turbellarian Taxonomic Database:^[2]

• Acanthozoon alderi (Collingwood, 1876)
• Acanthozoon allmani (Collingwood, 1876)
• Acanthozoon auropunctatum (Kelaart, 1858)
• Acanthozoon boehmigi (Stummer-Traunfels, 1895)
• Acanthozoon hispidum (Du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1955)
• Acanthozoon indicum (Plehn, 1896)
• Acanthozoon lepidum (Heath & McGregor, 1912)
• Acanthozoon maculosum (Pearse, 1938)
• Acanthozoon marginatum (Plehn, 1896)
• Acanthozoon obscurum (Stummer-Traunfels, 1895)
• Acanthozoon ovale (Schmarda, 1859)
• Acanthozoon plehni (Laidlaw, 1902)
• Acanthozoon semperi (Stummer-Traunfels, 1895)

incertae sedis

• Acanthozoon albopapillosum Hyman, 1959
• Acanthozoon albopunctatumPrudhoe, 1977
• Acanthozoon armatum (Kelaart, 1858)
• Acanthozoon papilionis (Kelaart, 1858)

External links

• WORMS
• Discover Life, Acanthozoon
• UBIO

Bibliographical References

• Collingwood, 1876, On thirty-one species of marine Planarians, collected partly by the late Dr Kelaart F.L.S. at Trincomalee, and partly by D. Collingwood F.L.S. in the Eastern Seas., Linnean Society of London, Transactions II, Zoology,vol.1, p 83-98.