The taxonomic status of Dugesia
biblica from Israel and Turkey (Platyhelminthes,Tricladida, Dugesiidae) |
| |
| Authors: | Eduard Solà Ronald Sluys Ori Segev Leon Blaustein Marta Riutort |
| |
| Institution: | 1.Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain ;2.Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands ;3.Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel |
| |
| Abstract: | The taxonomic status of Dugesia
biblica (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from Israel and Turkey is problematic due to its morphological similarity with Dugesia
sicula since these nominal species present overlapping characters. In this study we analyzed histological preparations of specimens of these two nominal species and also compared mitochondrial COI gene sequences from Israeli populations to the already known haplotype composition of Dugesia
sicula. We concluded that these animals belong to the same species and therefore we consider Dugesia
biblica to be a junior synonym of Dugesia
sicula. This implies that the distribution range of Dugesia
sicula is even wider than previously thought, and that the species is present all around the Mediterranean Basin and on many of its islands. |
| |
| Keywords: | Platyhelminthes" target="_blank">Platyhelminthes Tricladida" target="_blank">Tricladida Dugesia" target="_blank">Dugesia taxonomy synonymy biogeography Israel COI haplotype karyology morphology Turkey |
|
|
