Red
mangrove flatworm
Limnostylochus sp.
Family
Limnostylochidae
updated
Feb 2020
Where
seen? This blood red flatworm is sometimes seen in numbers
in shallow pools of water in our back mangroves. Particularly at night
or the early morning.
Features: 2-3cm long. Plain dark
red, maroon or brown sometimes with tiny faint pale speckles, the
body margin is not very ruffled. Often there is a white patchy pattern
along the length of the body that looks like the internal digestive
system. There are no obvious pseudotentacles. May be quite active
but not very fast moving.
The Family Stylochidae is one of the largest polyclad families and
includes some voracious flatworms known as 'oyster leeches' and are
considered a pest on farmed bivalves such as oyster and pearl farms.
Some members may produce large amounts of toxic mucus. |
Lim Chu Kang, Apr 09
|
Admiralty Park, Jun 09
|
Sungei Buloh Besar, Apr 11
|
Chek Jawa, Aug 07
Photo shared by Toh Chay Hoon on flickr. |
Kranji Nature Trail, Dec 10 |
*Species are
difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of
display.
Red
mangrove flatworms on Singapore shores |
Links
References
- Rene S.L. Ong and Samantha J.W. Tong. 29 October 2018. A preliminary checklist and photographic catalogue of polyclad flatworms recorded from Singapore. Nature in Singapore 2018 11: 77–125.
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