Family PSEUDOCEROTIDAE Lang, 1884

Museums

Regional Maps

• Pseudocerotidae Lang, 1884.

  Type genus:

   Pseudoceros Lang, 1884.

  Secondary source:

   Faubel, A. 1984. The Polycladida, Turbellaria. Proposal and establishment of a new system. Part II. The Cotylea. Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut 81: 189-259 [205].

Introduction

Preservation and Examination Methods
Taxonomic studies of the Pseudocerotidae are hampered by the difficulty often experienced in preserving these polyclads. Traditional methods of fixation of these delicate animals often fails to preserve adequately the colour and physical markings as well as failing to maintain flat and well-formed bodies. Newman & Cannon (1995) devised a novel method of fixation onto frozen FCA-PGPP (formaldehyde calcium acetate - propylene glycol, propylene phenoxetol), which preserves both colours and markings, while fixing the animals in a flattened state, making them ready for histological examination.

DNA Studies
Goggin & Newman (1996) used the ITS1 rDNA gene to discriminate among 3 species of pseudocerotid worms. They found this marker useful at specific and generic levels.

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

Cryptoceros Faubel, 1984 [suppressed] — Litvaitis, M.K., Bolaños, D.M. & Quiroga, S.Y. 2010. When names are wrong and colours deceive: unravelling the Pseudoceros bicolour species complex (Turbellaria: Polycladida). Journal of Natural History 44: 829-845 [Date published 15 March, 2010]

General References

Goggin, C.L. & Newman, L.J. 1996. Use of molecular data to discriminate pseudocerotid turbellarians. Journal of Helminthology 70: 123-126

Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. 1995. The importance of the fixation of colour, pattern and form in tropical Pseudocerotidae (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida). Hydrobiologia 305: 141-143

History of changes