flatworms text index | photo index
worms > Phylum Platyhelminthes > Class Turbellaria > Order Polycladida
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
On wildsingapore flickr

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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