Anisorhynchodemus guttatus
Speckled flatworm at Acton, ACT
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| Anisorhynchodemus guttatus | turb | 31 Mar 2021 | |
| Unverified | TimL | 22 Mar 2021 |
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User's notes
Unsure what was going on here. One for the experts. The millipede was hanging over the side of a handrail and covered with some sort of veiling material. A leech appeared to be attached to the millipede, and a small green bug was thrown into the mix at the attachment point. Thanks to Marcus Leach for the initial sighting in ANBG's Rainforest Gully during yesterday's rain.
8 comments
22 Mar 2021
I think this may be a flatworm but honestly not sure. I have few resources on leeches and flatworms, not much info available and I haven't come across anyone who knows much about them. Whatever it is, I'm guessing it is feeding on the millipede, and the little green bug seems to be advantageously feeding on something. Was there anything to suggest it was definitely a leech?
22 Mar 2021
Hi Trevor. No, nothing to definitely suggest a leech. I wasn't sure what it was or what was going on so placed it under 'Leeches' rather than just the general 'Other invertebrates' to get the sighting onto CNM's records. I'll see if I can find any relevant information. Thanks for your comments. Tim
22 Mar 2021
Looks like a flatworm to me. Leeches are segmented and I can’t see any segments on the worm
23 Mar 2021
No worries Tim, I'm quite sure its a flatworm, but unfortunately cant get an ID beyond Phylum, which is pretty general. I'm having trouble finding any books or any experts that can help with this. Please let me know if you hear of anyone that could help.
23 Mar 2021
It looks like Leigh Winsor at Jame Cook Uni is the Aussie expert on terrestrial planarians. I don’t know him or if he would be interested in helping?
23 Mar 2021
Thanks Simone, I will follow that up and see if I can get in touch with him.
Cheers.
Cheers.
31 Mar 2021
The land planarian Anisorhynchodemus guttatus, is enjoying a juicy meal of a millipede. Other land planarians such as the common native species, Caenoplana coerulea, predate upon millipedes, especially the invasive Portuguese millipede Ommatoiulus moreleti.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.109098-35.277352
- Altitude 653.7m
- Maps ANBG
- Places Acton, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 21 Mar 2021 01:31 PM Recorded on
- TimL Recorded by
Collections
- Other Invertebrates Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) TimL Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Anisorhynchodemus guttatus
Species information
- Anisorhynchodemus guttatus Scientific name
- Speckled flatworm Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Rare or uncommon native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 653.7m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes