Cephaloflexa

Cephaloflexa is a genus of land planarians from Brazil.

Cephaloflexa
Cephaloflexa araucariana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Platyhelminthes
Class:
Turbellaria/Rhabditophora
Order:
Tricladida
Suborder:
Continenticola
Family:
Geoplanidae
Subfamily:
Geoplaninae
Genus:
Cephaloflexa

Carbayo & Leal-Zanchet, 2003
Type species
Geoplana bergi
Graff, 1899

Description

The genus Cephaloflexa is characterized by the presence of a cephalic retractor muscle not associated with cephalic glands. Due to this muscle, the head in species of Cephaloflexa is rolled upwards or backwards similarly to Choeradoplana.[1] The main external feature to distinguish Cephaloflexa from Choeradoplana is the presence of two “cushions” on the ventral side of the head of the latter. The copulatory apparatus of Cephaloflexa lacks a permanent penis papilla.[1]

Etymology

The name Cephaloflexa comes from the Greek word κεφαλή (head) and the Latin word flexus (bending).

Species

There are three described species in the genus Cephaloflexa:

  • Cephaloflexa araucariana Carbayo & Leal-Zanchet, 2003
  • Cephaloflexa bergi (Graff, 1899)
  • Cephaloflexa nataliae (Froehlich, 1959)

References
  1. Carbayo, F.; Leal-Zanchet, A. M. (2003). Two new genera of geoplaninid land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Terricola) of Brazil in the light of cephalic specialisations. Invertebrate Systematics. 17: 449-468.
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