• Prosthiostomum Quatrefages, A. de 1845. Etudes sur les types inferieures de l'embranchement des Annelids—Mémoire sur quelques Planaires marines. Annales des Sciences Naturelles 3 4 [132].

  Type species:

   Planaria siphunculus Della Chaija, 1828 by subsequent designation, see Lang, A. 1884. Die Polycladen (Seeplanarien) des Golfes von Neapel und der angrenzenden Meeresabschnitte. Monographie der Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel 11: 688 pp., 39 pIs., 54 text-figs [595].

  Secondary source:

   Lang, A. 1884. Die Polycladen (Seeplanarien) des Golfes von Neapel und der angrenzenden Meeresabschnitte. Monographie der Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel 11: 688 pp., 39 pIs., 54 text-figs [594]; 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 [232].
• Mesodiscus Minot, 1877.
• Amakusaplana Kato, K. 1938. Polyclads from Amakusa, southern Japan. Japanese Journal of Zoology 7: 559–576.

  Secondary source:

   Prudhoe, S. 1985. A monograph on polyclad Turbellaria. London : British Museum (Natural History) iv, 259 pp. [149].

Introduction

Faubel (1984) considered Amakusaplana Kato, 1938 to be a junior synonym of Prosthiostomum Quatrefages, 1845. Prudhoe (1985) also noted the similarity of Amakusaplana to Prosthiostomum, however, he maintained the validity of the genus. Genetic analyses conducted by Litvaitis et al. (2019) placed Amakusaplana acroporae in Prosthiostomum with strong support; they proposed Amakusaplana be synonymised with Prosthiostomum.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Notes

Full synonymy of type species:
= Prosthiostomum siphunculus (Della Chiaje, 1828) Lang, 1884;
Prosthiostomum elongatum Quatrefages, 1845;
Prosthiostomum arctum Quatrefages, 1845;
Leptoplana arcta (Quatrefages, 1845) Diesing, 1850;
Leptoplana elongata (Quatrefages, 1845) Diesing, 1850;
Prosthiostomum hamatum O.Schmidt, 1861;
Leptoplana hamata (O.Schmidt, 1861) Diesing, 1862;
? Prosthiostomum emarginatum Leuckart, 1863;
Mesodiscus inversiporus Minot, 1877

General References

Litvaitis, M.K., Bolaños, D.M. & Quiroga, S.Y. 2019. Systematic congruence in Polycladida (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora): are DNA and morphology telling the same story? Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186: 865–891

Prudhoe, S. 1985. A monograph on polyclad Turbellaria. London : British Museum (Natural History) iv, 259 pp.

History of changes

• Amakusaplana acroporae Rawlinson, K.A., Gillis, J.A., Billings, R.E., Jr. & Borneman, E.H. 2011. Taxonomy and life history of the Acropora-eating flatworm Amakusaplana acroporae nov. sp. (Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae). Coral Reefs 30: 693-705 [Date published 3 April 2011] [696-701].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 2010.9.27.1 adult worm, wholemount (specimen obtained from personal aquarium), Virginia, United States of America.
  Paratype(s) BMNH 2010.9.27.2 adult worm, sagittal sections (material obtained from personal aquarium), Virginia, United States of America; BMNH 2010.9.27.3 adult worm, cross section (material obtained from personal aquarium), Virginia, United States of America; USNM USNM1153932 adult worm, sagittal sections (material obtained from personal aquarium), Virginia, United States of America
  Comment: Description based on examination of 7 adult specimens and 30 life history stages; embryos and hatchlings were reared by the authors.

  Type locality references:

  Rawlinson, K.A., Gillis, J.A., Billings, R.E., Jr. & Borneman, E.H. 2011. Taxonomy and life history of the Acropora-eating flatworm Amakusaplana acroporae nov. sp. (Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae). Coral Reefs 30: 693-705 [Date published 3 April 2011].

  Type host:

   Acropora spp. (type material obtained from a personal aquarium which contained multiple species of Acropora: A. valida, A. tortuosa, A. nana, A. tenuis, A. formosa, A. echinata, A. millepora and A. yongei)

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Rawlinson, K.A., Gillis, J.A., Billings, R.E., Jr. & Borneman, E.H. 2011. Taxonomy and life history of the Acropora-eating flatworm Amakusaplana acroporae nov. sp. (Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae). Coral Reefs 30: 693-705 [Date published 3 April 2011] [696-701]

Generic Combinations

• Prosthiostomum acroporae (Rawlinson, Gillis, Billiings & Borneman, 2011). —
  Litvaitis, M.K., Bolaños, D.M. & Quiroga, S.Y. 2019. Systematic congruence in Polycladida (Platyhelminthes, Rhabditophora): are DNA and morphology telling the same story? Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186: 865–891 [882]

Introduction

Amakusaplana acroporae was described originally from material obtained from private aquaria in the United States of America (Rawlinson et al. 2011). Subsequent to the description, wild specimens were located on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Rawlinson & Stella 2012). It is known to be a voracious predator of captive corals in aquarium systems, eating species of Acropora, sometimes leading to the death of the corals. It had been known as a pest of aquaculture systems for at least a decade prior to formal description of the species. The presence of coral nematocysts and coral-dwelling dinoflagellates in the gut and parenchyma of specimens of A. acroporae confirm the corallivorous diet of this species. Rawlinson & Stella (2012) suggest that A. acroporae may be an ecologically important stressor for wild corals in natural reef systems.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Amakusaplana acroporae was described originally from material obtained from personal aquaria in the United States of America (Virginia). Embryos obtained from these specimens were reared for taxonomic investigations (Rawlinson et al. 2011). Subsequent to the description of this species, wild specimens of A. acroporae were discovered at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia (Rawlinson & Stella 2012).

IMCRA

Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Distribution References

General References

Rawlinson, K.A. & Stella, J.S. 2012. Discovery of the corallivorous polyclad flatworm, Amakusaplana acroporae, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia -- the first report from the wild. PLoS ONE (Public Library of Science) 7(8): e42240 [Date published 1 August, 2012]

History of changes

• Prosthiostomum amri Rodríguez, J., Hutchings, P.A. & Williamson, J.E. 2021. Biodiversity of intertidal marine flatworms (Polycladida, Platyhelminthes) in southeastern Australia. Zootaxa 5024(1): 001-063.

  Type data:

   Holotype AM W.50286 8 slides (Found on wood block plate amongst Zostera seagrass.), Lake Macquarie, New South Wales [33° 5’30.19”S, 151°35’27.65”E].
  Paratype(s) AM W.50287 10 slides, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales [33° 5’30.19”S, 151°35’27.65”E];
  Status unknown, AM W.53224 Wet material, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales [33° 5’30.19”S, 151°35’27.65”E].

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

North east side of Pulbah Island, and Lake Macquarie, New South Wales.

Known only from type locality.

Australian Endemic.

Ecological Descriptors

Seagrass (host(s): Zostera [ZOSTERACEAE] (found on a settlement wood block plate amongst Zostera seagrass)).

History of changes

• Prosthiostomum maculatum Haswell, W.A. 1907b. Observations on Australian polyclads. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 2 9: 465-485.

History of changes