''Caenoplana coerulea'', known as the blue planarian or blue garden flatworm is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
land planarian
Geoplanidae is a family of flatworms known commonly as land planarians or land flatworms.
These flatworms are mainly predators of other invertebrates, which they hunt, attack and capture using physical force and the adhesive and digestive proper ...
.
Description
This is a long narrow flatworm, which is shiny black or dark brown on the upper surface, and mid-blue underneath (hence the specific epithet and the common name of "blue planarian".) There is a narrow creamy/fawn coloured longitudinal stripe running down the center of the upper surface. Multiple eyespots are present. The head on some individuals has a pinkish appearance. The adult length is 6 to 12 cm.
Range
This flatworm's native range is eastern Australia and New Zealand. This species has however been accidentally introduced to the
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...
,
Argentina,
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
,
France,
[ ] and the USA (including California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina and Iowa).
Ogren, R. E. 2001. The Blue Planarian: A New Locality
/ref>
Habitat
It is found in moist forest areas, and during drier periods it shelters under rocks, rotting logs and in leaf litter. It is often seen after periods of heavy rain.
Life habits
This planarian is a predator of a variety of invertebrates on the forest floor. It is known to feed on several arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
groups, such as woodlice
A woodlouse (plural woodlice) is an isopod crustacean from the polyphyleticThe current consensus is that Oniscidea is actually triphyletic suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda. They get their name from often being found in old wood. ...
, millipedes and earwigs, as well as on land snail
A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...
s.
Gallery
Showing color variation and more detail
Image:Canenoplana coerulea1.JPG, ''Caenoplana coerulea''
Image:Canenoplana coerulea2.JPG, ''Caenoplana coerulea''
Image:Canenoplana coerulea - head.JPG, ''Caenoplana coerulea''
Image:Caenoplana coerulea blue underneath.JPG, ''Caenoplana coerulea'' upturned
References
* http://ctdbase.org/detail.go?type=taxon&acc=69519
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caenoplana Coerulea
Geoplanidae
Platyhelminthes of Australia
Taxa described in 1877