Classes

Size marine

Turbellaria Habitat freshwater

dorsoventrally flattened

terrestrial
Form leaf-like

long and ribbon-like mostly free-living

Nature some symbiotic

free-living
Nature
some parasitic
parasitic

presence or
triploblastic absence of gut

Body Plan acoelomates Class Turbellaria pattern of branching

Distinguished by
of the gut
bilaterally symmetrical Rhabdites
type of pharynx

cellular ciliated rests on the basement Chemoreceptors

Species example Planarians carnivorous aid in
epidermis membrane
hunting
Rhabdites
dual-gland
adhesive organs
endoparasites
Structures epidermis and muscles Trematoda parasitic flukes adults
free-living organisms of vertebrates

mostly leaflike
(at least 1 sucker)
Clade Neodermata Features
syncytial tegument
(neodermis) no opisthaptor
parasites

blind sac
circular

muscle fibers and

longitudinal various
parenchyma cells
penetration gland
diagonal produce cyst
glands
material
Adaptations for
mouth hooks and suckers adhesion
parasitism

pharynx increased
reproductive capacity
S. mansoni
nutrition and digestion intestine
sense organs poorly
developed S. japonicum (most severe)
extracellular proteolytic enzymes

S. haematobium (least severe)

intracellular phagocytic cells Schistosoma sp. (blood fluke)

no metacercarial stage

excretion waste removal

excretion and IH - snail
osmoregulation Tissue
water removal to maintain
osmoregulation
osmotic balance dioecious

nervous system and

subepidermal IH - snail (miracidia)
sense organs Paragonimus westermani
nerve plexus
(lung fluke)
second IH - crabs (cercaria)
longitudinal
nervous system
nerve cords
IH - snail
brain (ganglion cells)

Gastrointestinal Clonorchis sinensis second IH - snail

ocelli (light-sensitive (liver fluke)
eyespots) fish-eating
definitive host
mammals
sense organs statocysts equilibrium

most with single hosts mollusks

rheoreceptors direction of
Aspidogastrea
water current
with secondary hosts fish or turtles
Subclasses
monoecious practice cross-fertilization
medical and economic
reproduction and asexual (fission) importance
Turbellaria
regeneration
sexual Digenea life cycle first IH - mollusk

asexual some need 2nd or 3rd IH

Trematodes
(happens in IH)
sexual reproduction
external parasites final host vertebrate
occurs
of fish (gills)
typical cycle egg miracidium sporocysts rediae
bladders of frogs
and turtles
Monogenea Features cercariae metacercariae adult

blind sac
Parasitize almost all kinds inhabit a wide variety
opisthaptor of vertebrate hosts of body parts

Representative Gyrodactylus cylindriformis

species

long flat ribbon-

shaped bodies

no digestive system

well-developed muscles
Cestoda Features
(ringworms)
pseudometamerism

excretory and nervous systems

similar to other flatworm

lack sensory organs sensory endings

except for modified cilia on the tegument

scolex attachment

Structure proglottid

strobila

self-fertilize

Reproduction cross-fertilization

produce many eggs

IH invertebrate

Definitive host vertebrate

Tissues Echinococcus granulosus

(dog tapeworm)

Taenia saginata
oncospheres
(beef tapeworm)
Intestinal
Taenia solium
(pork tapeworm)