3/8/2017

Platyhelminthes and
Nemertea

ZOO 3
Dr. Eleanor Aurellado

Bilateria
Cephalization
Triploblastic
Ectoderm
Endoderm
Mesoderm
Muscles
Excretory, respiratory, reproductive organs

1
 3/8/2017

Protostomes
Mouth forms at or near blastopore

Porifera

ANCESTRAL Cnidaria
PROTIST
Eumetazoa

Common Lophotrochozoa
ancestor of
all animals
Ecdysozoa
Bilateria

Deuterostomia

Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
Dorsoventrally
flattened
Acoelomate

2
 3/8/2017

Flatworm body plan

Incomplete digestive system (except
Cestoda)

Centralized nervous system (ladder-like)

Circular, longitudinal and dorsoventral
muscles

3
 3/8/2017

Homeostasis in flatworms
No circulatory nor
respiratory systems
Protonephridia
For osmoregulation
Tubules and flame cells
Allowed flatworms to invade
freshwater habitats

Reproduction
Mostly hermaphroditic
With accessory
reproductive structures
Biflagellated sperm

Regeneration

4
 3/8/2017

Importance
Many are parasitic to humans and other
animals

Model organisms for regeneration studies

Detritivores

5
 3/8/2017

Invasive species

Arthurdendyus triangulata (New Zealand flatworm)

about to attack an earthworm (www.pbs.org)
Justine J, Winsor L, Gey D, Gros P, Thvenot
J. (2014) The invasive New Guinea
flatworm Platydemus manokwari in France, the first
record for Europe: time for action is
now. PeerJ 2:e297 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.297

Classification
Class Turbellaria
Class Monogenea
Class Trematoda
Class Cestoda

6
 3/8/2017

Class Turbellaria
Mostly free-living
Sensory organs
well-developed
Ocelli (eyespots)
Auricles with
chemoreceptors

Dugesia (planaria)

Ciliated cellular epidermis

Rod-shaped rhabdites
Produce mucus

7
 3/8/2017

Terrestrial flatworms

New Zealand flatworm

Bipalium

Polyclad flatworms
Marine
Many-branched intestine
Aposematic coloration

8
 3/8/2017

Penis-fencing flatworms

Pseudoceros bifurcus

Mllers larva

Pseudobiceros hancockanus

Flatworm Phylogeny

9
 3/8/2017

The parasitic flatworms:

Neodermata
Syncytial tegument
or neodermis
No cilia
Cell bodies beneath
outer layer of
cytoplasm
Protection from
hosts defenses
Absorption of
nutrients

Class Monogenea
Monogenetic flukes
Mostly ectoparasites
(primarily in fishes)
Prohaptor and
Opisthaptor

10
 3/8/2017

Monogenean life cycle

mono = single,
genea = birth
Adult worm Egg
Direct life cycle;
single host

Host
Oncomiracidium
attachment

Monogenetic flukes

Polystoma
Found in frogs and toads
Gyrodactylus (skin fluke)
Found in fish

11
 3/8/2017

Class Trematoda (flukes)

Endoparasitic flukes
Subclass Digenea
Oral and ventral sucker

Schistosoma

12
 3/8/2017

Digenetic fluke life cycle

Definitive host: vertebrates

Intermediate host: invertebrates

Life cycle of a schistosome:

Male

Human host Female

1 mm

Motile larva Ciliated larva

(Cercaria) (Miracidium)

Snail host

13
 3/8/2017

Paragonimus (lung fluke) Fasciola (sheep liver fluke)

Class Cestoda (tapeworms)

Intestinal parasites
of vertebrates
Digestive tract
absent
Tegument with
microtriches

14
 3/8/2017

Subclass Eucestoda (true

tapeworms)
Scolex
Neck
Strobila 200 m

Proglottids
Arise from the neck

Hooks

Neck
Sucker

Life cycle of Taenia saginata

(beef tapeworm)

http://fray.com/drugs/worm/

15
 3/8/2017

Cysticercosis
Caused by ingesting eggs of Taenia solium
(pork tapeworm)
Eggs develop into cysticerci in human brain

Bothria

Dipylidium (dog tapeworm)

O. Cyclophyllidea

Diphyllobothrium (fish tapeworm)

O. Pseudophyllidea

Bothridia

Tapeworm (O. Tetraphyllidea)

16
 3/8/2017

Which of these is NOT a

parasite?

A B D

Adaptations to parasitism
Adhesive organs
Tegument
Complex life cycle
High fecundity (egg
production)

17
 3/8/2017

Physical or behavioral alteration

of the host

Uninfected snail Snail infected with Leucochloridium (trematode)

Snail catches birds attention;

gets eaten

Phylum Nemertea (ribbon

worms)
Acoelomate
Ladder-like nervous system
Protonephridia

Baseodiscus

18
 3/8/2017

Proboscis within rhynchocoel

Complete
digestive system
Closed
circulatory
system
Mostly dioecious

Pilidium larva

19