Pseudoceros bifurcus

Pseudoceros bifurcus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Turbellaria
Order:	Polycladida
Family:	Pseudocerotidae
Genus:	Pseudoceros
Species:	Pseudoceros bifurcus
Binomial name
Pseudoceros bifurcus (Prudhoe, 1989)

Pseudoceros bifurcus is a marine flatworm species that belongs to the Pseudocerotidae family.

Common name

Racing stripe flatworm, orange-band flatworm, orange tipped flatworm.

Distribution

Tropical Indo-Pacific, from eastern cost of Africa to Micronesia.

Habitat

External slope or top from coral reef.

Size

Up to 2 inches (5.1 cm).

Physical characteristics

"Dorsal surface with a background varying from green-bluish to cream with an intense purple margin without forming a distinctive marginal band. There is orange elongated spot beginning at the cerebral eyespot fading into a white median stripe that ends close to the posterior margin. Cream pseudotentacles formed by simple folds of the anterior margin with numerous ocella. A single cerebral cluster formed by about 30 eyes. Pharynx with elaborated folds."^[1]

Behavior

Benthic, diurnals, because of its aposematic colors, it has no fear to crawl around to feed.

External links

• Life desk, Pseudoceros bifurcus
• Discover Life, Pseudoceros bifurcus

Bibliographical references

• Leslie Newman & Lester Cannon, "Marine Flatworms",CSIRO publishing,2003,ISBN 0-643-06829-5
• Neville Coleman, "Marine life of Maldives",Atoll editions,2004,ISBN 187-6410-361
• Andrea & Antonnella Ferrrari,"Macrolife",Nautilus publishing,2003,ISBN 983-2731-00-3