''Spathula'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
dugesiid
Dugesiidae is a family of freshwater planarians distributed worldwide (except Antarctica). The type genus is ''Dugesia'' Girard, 1850.Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Tur ...
triclad
A planarian is one of the many flatworms of the traditional class (biology), class Turbellaria. It usually describes free-living flatworms of the order Tricladida (triclads), although this common name is also used for a wide number of free-li ...
. Its species are found in Australia and New Zealand.
Until 1977, ''Spathula'' was ranked as a subgenus of ''
Dugesia
''Dugesia'' (pronounced, /duˈd͡ʒiʒ(i)ə/) is a genus of dugesiid triclads that contains some common representatives of the class Turbellaria. These common flatworms are found in freshwater habitats of Africa, Eurasia, and Australia. ''Dugesi ...
''.
Description
Specimens of this genus have a triangular head.
[Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, 339-401.]
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus ''Spathula''
[*Tyler S, Schilling S, Hooge M, and Bush LF (comp.) (2006-2012) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.7 ']
Database
:
* ''
Spathula agelaea''
Hay & Ball, 1979
* ''
Spathula alba''
Allison, 1997
* ''
Spathula camara''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula dittae''
Ball & Tran, 1979
* ''
Spathula foeni''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula fontinalis''
(Nurse, 1950)
* ''
Spathula gourbaultae''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula limicola''
(Nurse, 1950)
* ''
Spathula miserabile''
Sluys & Grant, 2006
* ''
Spathula musculosa''
Sluys & Grant, 2006
* ''
Spathula neara''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula ochyra''
Ball & Tran, 1979
* ''
Spathula schauinslandi''
(Neppi, 1904)
* ''
Spathula simplex''
Sluys & Grant, 2006
* ''
Spathula truculenta''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula trunculata''
Ball, 1977
* ''
Spathula tryssa''
Ball, 1977
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3388165
Dugesiidae
Rhabditophora genera