Order PLATYCTENIDA Bourne, 1900

Museums

Regional Maps

• Dictyocoela Krumbach, T. 1925. Ctenophora. pp. 905-995 in Kukenthal, W. & Krumbach, T. (eds). Handbuch der Zoologie. Berlin : W. de Gruyter Vol. 1. [940].

Introduction

The order Platyctenida contains nine genera and subgenera as currently circumscribed: the creeping Coeloplana Kowalevsky (1890), Savangia Dawydoff (1950) and Benthoplana Fricke & Plante (1971); the pelagic Ctenoplana Korotneff (1886), Planoctena Dawydoff (1936) and Diploctena Fricke & Plante (1971); the parasitic Gastrodes Korotneff (1888); the sessile Tjalfiella Mortensen (1910) and Lyrocteis Komai (1942); and Vallicula Rankin (1956) which displays a diversity of habits.

These genera were grouped by Mills (1998) as follows:
Family Ctenoplanidae Willey, 1896, including Ctenoplana, Diploctena, and Planoctena
Family Tjalfiellidae Komai, 1922, containing only Tjalfiella
Family Lyroctenidae Komai, 1942, containing only Lyrocteis
Family Savangiidae Harbison and Madin, 1982, containing only Savangia
Family Coeloplanidae Willey, 1896, including Coeloplana, Benthoplana and Vallicula

Coeloplanidae is the only family so far recorded from Australian waters.

Diagnosis

Aberrant ctenophores, with body solid, greatly compressed in the oral/aboral axis, oral portion everted to form a creeping sole; with two conspicuous tentacles and sheaths. Ctene rows usually greatly reduced or absent in adults, but may be present in the larva. Many species are ectocommensals.

Diagnosis References

Hyman, L. H. 1940. Phylum Ctenophora. pp. 662-696 in Hyman, L. H. (ed.). The Invertebrates. Protozoa through Ctenophora. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 1. [663]

Matsumoto, G.I. & Gowlett-Holmes, K.L. 1996. Coeloplana scaberiae sp. nov., a new benthic ctenophore (Ctenophora: Platyctenida: Coeloplanidae) from South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 29(1): 33-40 [34]

General References

Mills, C.E. 1998. Phylum Ctenophora: list of all valid species names. Electronic internet document available at http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Ctenolist.html. [Published by the author, web page established March 1998]

History of changes