Macrostomidaevan Beneden, E. 1870. Étude zoologique et anatomique du genre ''Macrostomum'' comprenant la description de deux especes nouvelles. Bulletin de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique 30:116-133, one plate. is a family of small basal free-living flatworms, and are found in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. There are currently about 180 named species in this family.Tyler, S., Schilling, S., Hooge, M., and Bush L. F. (comp.) (2006-2009) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.5

Description

Species of the family Macrostomidae are small (~0.5 to 5 mm in length) and generally highly transparent microturbellarians. They are usually round in cross section, and with only the largest forms being dorso-ventrally flattened. They are distinguished from related animals by the possession of a simple

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its struc ...

and intestine, a single pair of lateral nerve cords, and by the absence of a statocyst.

Ecology and distribution

Species of the family Macrostomidae are members of a large range of aquatic faunas, ranging from the

meiobenthos Meiobenthos, also called meiofauna, are small benthic invertebrates that live in both marine and fresh water environments. The term ''meiofauna'' loosely defines a group of organisms by their size, larger than microfauna but smaller than macrofau ...

epibenthos Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

. Moreover, they occur in marine, brackish, and freshwater habitats, and many forms are particularly abundant in the intertidal meiobenthos, where they can be exposed to highly variable environmental conditions. There are also many sub-tidal and a few deep-sea forms. They can be found in all major bodies of water worldwide, and in the freshwater of all continents, except Antarctica.

References

External links

Turbellarian Taxonomic Database: A listing of the taxonomy of turbellarians
Turbellaria {{Flatworm-stub