Flatworms

Classification Phylulm Platyhelmenthes (flatworms) Class Turbellaria

• Planarians
• Triclads

Appearance

• Tiny (less than a cm) flattened "blobs"
• Soft and unsegmented body
• Lobed head with tiny, dark eyespots

Behavior

• Movement is by gliding on a surface rather than stretching like a leech or worm
• Movement is accomplished with cilia (tiny hairs) on the underside of the body
• Flatworms avoid light
• Found under rocks or in vegetation

Aquatic Habitat

• Still or quiet water of ponds, lakes, streams, ditches and temporary puddles
• Live in vegetation

Reproduction

• Under certain, sterile conditions, flatworms can regenerate cut-off body parts or split heads
• Hermaphroditic

Feeding Type

• Predatory
• Omnivorous on living or dead invertebrates

Pollution Tolerance

• Pollution tolerant
• Large numbers may indicate poor water quality