Temnocephalida
Temnocephalida
[‚tem·nō·sə′fal·əd·ə]Temnocephalida
an order of turbellarians; according to another system, a class of turbellarians.
Temnocephalids are ectocommensals of freshwater crustaceans, mollusks, and turtles. Their flattened bodies, which are 0.2 to 14 mm long, are usually equipped with several tentacles. Temnocephalids are hermaphrodites. They deposit their eggs on the host’s body. There are about 50 species, living mainly in the southern hemisphere; one species inhabits the Balkans.
REFERENCES
Pavlovskii, E. N. “Dopolnenie k klassu Turbellaria: Otriad Temnocephalida.” In Rukovodstvo po zoologii, vol. 1. Moscow-Leningrad, 1937.Shul’ts, R. S., and E. V. Gvozdev. Osnovy obshchei gel’mintologii, vol. 1. Moscow, 1970. Pages 99–103.
Baer, J. G. “Classe des temnocéphales.” In Traité de Zoologie: Anatomie, systématique, biologie, vol. 4, fasc. 1. Published by P.-P. Grasse. Paris, 1961.