Anisorhynchodemus guttatus

Speckled flatworm at Acton, ACT

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Identification history

Anisorhynchodemus guttatus	31 Mar 2021	turb
Platyhelminthes sp. (phylum)	23 Mar 2021	trevorpreston
Platyhelminthes sp. (phylum)	22 Mar 2021	michaelb
Unidentified	22 Mar 2021	TimL

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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

trevorpreston wrote:

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?

TimL wrote:

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

SimoneC wrote:

22 Mar 2021

Looks like a flatworm to me. Leeches are segmented and I can’t see any segments on the worm

TimL wrote:

23 Mar 2021

Thanks for the identification Trevor, Simone.

trevorpreston wrote:

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.

SimoneC wrote:

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?

trevorpreston wrote:

23 Mar 2021

Thanks Simone, I will follow that up and see if I can get in touch with him.
Cheers.

turb wrote:

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.

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