racing_stripe_flatworm

=Racing-Stripe Flatworm=

Physical description:
Flatworms of the genus //Pseudoceros// have flat bodies with ruffled edges. Many have colorful decorations, used as warning coloration and to attract mates. The Racing-Stripe Flatworm has a lavender body with a white stripe on its back. An orange tip "points" to the front of the body. Many flatworms have a simple incomplete digestive system. They have no coelom, and their gut is a "one-way street."

Size:
A fully grown flatworm of this genus may be 20-40 cm in length.

Average lifespan:
Though not fully known, flatworms raised in captivity have lived from 60-140 days.

Habitat:
Lives in shallow waters of tropical oceans. Usually stays near coral reefs for food source.

Range:
Shallow oceans of south Pacific, specifically near Indonesia, near South Africa, the Red Sea, and Hawaii.

Diet:
Many flatworms are carnivores, feeding on small marine invertebrates, including mollusks, or protozoans. Others are parasites that require a host for survival. A few flatworms have a cooperative relationship with other animals in which they will "clean" the host to get their nutrients.

Behavior & adaptations to its way of life:
Flatworms have an excellent sense of smell, used both for detecting prey and mates. Also, marine flatworms are very sensitive to touch. This allows them to glide along the ocean floor or along corals in search of food.

How it reproduces:
Many freshwater or land-living flatworms reproduce asexually. A mature adult can separate itself behind its mouth. Both segments may then regenerate into full-functional adults. Marine flatworms usually reproduce sexually. The fertilized eggs settle to the ocean floor and develop into larva before becoming adults.

Relationship to people:
Scuba divers often seek to film or photograph flatworms because they are beautiful.

Status:
No flatworm species are on the IUCN's redlist.

Citations:
"Pseudoceros bifurcus, racing-stripe flatworm." Julian Rocks. 26 Mar. 2008.  "Pseudoceros ferrugineus." __Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia__. The Gale Group, Inc, 2005. //Answers.com// 26 Mar. 2008. http://www.answers.com/topic/pseudoceros-ferrugineus