Girardia tigrina

Girardia tigrina
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Order:	Tricladida
Family:	Dugesiidae
Genus:	Girardia
Species:	G. tigrina
Binomial name
	Girardia tigrina; (Girard, 1850)
Synonyms
	Dugesia tigrina (Girard,1850) ; Girardia jimi Martins, 1970 ; Dugesia jimi Martins, 1970 ; Euplanaria tigrina (Girard, 1850) ; Planaria tigrina Girard, 1850 ;

Girardia tigrina, known as the brown planarian or the immigrant triclad flatworm, is a species of dugesiid native to the Americas.^[1] It has been accidentally introduced into Europe^[2] and Japan.^[3]

Description

G. tigrina individuals are around 10 mm in length. They have a head with two broad and short auricles. The two eyes are in two pigment-free patches. The dorsal surface of the body has numerous pigment spots.^[3]

Distribution and ecology

Originally from the Americas, Girardia tigrina has become an invasive species in Europe and Japan. Since being first recorded in France in 1925,^[4] this species has been reported from many other European countries, including Germany,^[5]^[6] Italy,^[7] the Netherlands,^[8] Romania,^[9] and Wales.^[10]

In North Wales, this species has displaced the native triclad species Polycelis nigra and Polycelis tenuis due to its superior exploitation of food.^[2]

Diet

G. tigrina is a carnivorous species that feeds on invertebrates such as oligochaetes, isopods, chironomids, snails, caddisflies, and mayflies.^[2]

Karyology

The haploid number is n=8. There are diploid (2n=16) and triploid (3n=24) specimens.^[3]

References

^ 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gee, H.; Young, J. O. (1993). "The food niches of the invasive Dugesia tigrina (Girard) and indigenous Polycelis tennis Ijima and P. Nigra (Müller) (Turbellaria; Tricladida) in a Welsh lake". Hydrobiologia. 254 (2): 99. doi:10.1007/BF00014313.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sluys, R., Kawakatsu, M., Yamamoto, K., 2010. "Exotic freshwater planarians currently known from Japan". Belgian Journal of Zoology, 140 (Suppl.). p. 103-109
^ Gourbault, N. (1969). "Expansion de dugesia tigrina (Girard), planaire américaine introduite en Europe". Annales de Limnologie. 5: 3–7. doi:10.1051/limn/1969006.
^ Meinken (H.)., 1925. Ein verkannter Laichraùher — Wochenschrift fur Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 22 S : 94-96.
^ Meinken (H.)., 1927. Planaria maculata, ein aus Nordamerika eingeschleffter Laichriiber und seine Vertilgung — Blatter fiir Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 38 S : 131-133.
^ Benazzi M., 1970. Karyological research on the American planarians Dugesia dorotocephala and Dugesia tigrina. J. Biol. Psychol. / Worm Runner's Digest, XII (1): 81-82.
^ Velde, G. (1975). "The immigrant triclad flatworm Dugesia tigrina (Girard) (Plathelminthes, Turbellaria). Range-extension and ecological position in the Netherlands". Hydrobiological Bulletin. 9 (3): 123–130. doi:10.1007/BF02263331.
^ An der Lan (H.)., 1962. Zur Turbellarien Fauna der Danau. Arch. Hydrobiol., suppl., 2 7 : 3-27.
^ Gee, H., 1990. The biology of the immigrant triclad Dugesia tigrina, (Girard): a comparative study with native triclad species. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, England.

[Ball74-1] 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.

[GeeYoung-2] Gee, H.; Young, J. O. (1993). "The food niches of the invasive Dugesia tigrina (Girard) and indigenous Polycelis tennis Ijima and P. Nigra (Müller) (Turbellaria; Tricladida) in a Welsh lake". Hydrobiologia. 254 (2): 99. doi:10.1007/BF00014313.

[Sluys2010-3] Sluys, R., Kawakatsu, M., Yamamoto, K., 2010. "Exotic freshwater planarians currently known from Japan". Belgian Journal of Zoology, 140 (Suppl.). p. 103-109

[Gourbault1969-4] Gourbault, N. (1969). "Expansion de dugesia tigrina (Girard), planaire américaine introduite en Europe". Annales de Limnologie. 5: 3–7. doi:10.1051/limn/1969006.

[5] Meinken (H.)., 1925. Ein verkannter Laichraùher — Wochenschrift fur Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 22 S : 94-96.

[6] Meinken (H.)., 1927. Planaria maculata, ein aus Nordamerika eingeschleffter Laichriiber und seine Vertilgung — Blatter fiir Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 38 S : 131-133.

[7] Benazzi M., 1970. Karyological research on the American planarians Dugesia dorotocephala and Dugesia tigrina. J. Biol. Psychol. / Worm Runner's Digest, XII (1): 81-82.

[8] Velde, G. (1975). "The immigrant triclad flatworm Dugesia tigrina (Girard) (Plathelminthes, Turbellaria). Range-extension and ecological position in the Netherlands". Hydrobiological Bulletin. 9 (3): 123–130. doi:10.1007/BF02263331.

[9] An der Lan (H.)., 1962. Zur Turbellarien Fauna der Danau. Arch. Hydrobiol., suppl., 2 7 : 3-27.

[10] Gee, H., 1990. The biology of the immigrant triclad Dugesia tigrina, (Girard): a comparative study with native triclad species. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, England.

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