Updated inventory and distribution of free-living flatworms from Tunisian waters

Abstract

Records of free-living flatworms (turbellarians) from Tunisian waters are scattered. Based on new material and published accounts, an annotated checklist of free-living flatworm species from Tunisian waters is provided. A total of 29 species is recorded, including 18 species with new material and 11 species only from literature records. For each species, information on systematics, habitats and distribution is supplied, together with taxonomic or biological remarks. Three species, the acotylean polyclads Cestoplana rubrocinta Lang, 1884 and Comoplana agilis (Lang, 1884) as well as the marine triclad Cercyra hastata Schmidt, 1861 are recorded for the first time in Tunisia. The controversial occurrence of the leptoplanid polyclad Leptoplana tremellaris in the Mediterranean is supported with histological sections and embryological data. The proseriate Monocelis fusca Örsted, 1843 previously reported from Tunisia is considered to be a misidentification.By presenting a checklist of the recorded species, this work summarizes our current knowledge of the turbellarian fauna diversity in Tunisia, providing baseline data for future biogeographical, ecological, behavioral and evolutionary investigations.