Spathula is a genus of dugesiid triclad. Its species are found in Australia and New Zealand.
Until 1977, Spathula was ranked as a subgenus of Dugesia. The name of the genus derives from the Latin , meaning "broad, flat piece".
Description Specimens of this genus have a triangular head.Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, 339-401. Along with this, the genus was originally defined as planarians with "one atrium (undivided) around the penis, into which opens the bursa stalk" and numerous testes.Nurse, Frances R. 1950. Freshwater triclads new to the fauna of New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 78(4): 410-417.
Species The following species are recognised in the genus Spathula*Tyler S, Schilling S, Hooge M, and Bush LF (comp.) (2006-2012) Turbellarian taxonomic database. Version 1.7 Database
Spathula agelaea Hay & Ball, 1979 Spathula alba Allison, 1997 Spathula camara Ball, 1977 Spathula dittae Ball & Tran, 1979 Spathula foeni Ball, 1977 Spathula fontinalis (Nurse, 1950) Spathula gourbaultae Ball, 1977 Spathula limicola (Nurse, 1950) Spathula miserabile Sluys & Grant, 2006 Spathula musculosa Sluys & Grant, 2006 Spathula neara Ball, 1977 Spathula ochyra Ball & Tran, 1979 Spathula schauinslandi (Neppi, 1904) Spathula simplex Sluys & Grant, 2006 Spathula truculenta Ball, 1977 Spathula trunculata Ball, 1977 Spathula tryssa Ball, 1977
References