Caenoplana coerulea
Blue Planarian, Blue Garden Flatworm at Farrer, ACT
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| Caenoplana coerulea | turb | 2 Apr 2021 | |
| Unverified | DebK | 2 Apr 2021 |
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User's notes
Found this ~150mm "worm" crossing a concrete footpath with fences & surburban gardens on either side. It is a ribbon worm?
3 comments
2 Apr 2021
No, it is not a ribbon worm / proboscis worm (terrestrial nemertean).
Rather it is the Blue garden worm Caenoplana coerulea. It is a native species of eastern Australia, and commonly reported from urban gardens. Using a hand lens you could see that the minute eyes contour margin of the head, cluster on the sides, then continue towards the tail in a single row. The mouth on a planarian is situated on its belly (but in the front of the head in a nemertean).
The name ribbon worm best applies to the often extremely long marine nemerteans. Proboscis worm is a better choice for the land nemerteans. The are relatively small generally no more than 50 mm long, with a rounded head, and eyes in four groups. When gently prodded they usually evert a long whitish coloured proboscis that attaches to the substratum, then pulls the body towards it - an escape reaction.
Rather it is the Blue garden worm Caenoplana coerulea. It is a native species of eastern Australia, and commonly reported from urban gardens. Using a hand lens you could see that the minute eyes contour margin of the head, cluster on the sides, then continue towards the tail in a single row. The mouth on a planarian is situated on its belly (but in the front of the head in a nemertean).
The name ribbon worm best applies to the often extremely long marine nemerteans. Proboscis worm is a better choice for the land nemerteans. The are relatively small generally no more than 50 mm long, with a rounded head, and eyes in four groups. When gently prodded they usually evert a long whitish coloured proboscis that attaches to the substratum, then pulls the body towards it - an escape reaction.
2 Apr 2021
Location information
- Coordinates 149.103108-35.373352
- Places Farrer, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 26 Mar 2021 09:49 AM Recorded on
- DebK Recorded by
Collections
- DebK Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Caenoplana coerulea Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) Other Invertebrates
Species information
- Caenoplana coerulea Scientific name
- Blue Planarian, Blue Garden Flatworm Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1809.4m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Additional attributes