Parakontikia atrata

The Black planarian at Acton, ACT

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Identification history

	Parakontikia atrata	24 Jun 2021	turb
	Parakontikia atrata	23 Jun 2021	trevorpreston

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User's notes

Planarian found on Black Mountain Reserve, about 30mm, jet black, no visible stripes.

4 comments

trevorpreston wrote:

23 Jun 2021

This was much larger than the Parakontikia atrata at Flea Bog flat. Is it too large to be Parakontikia?
Unfortunately i didnt get a look at the ventral surface.

turb wrote:

23 Jun 2021

It is not so much the size - say 20-30mm. Rather, it is the diagnostic characters - jet black dorsum, ventral surface with median dark stripe (purplish) bordered on either side by pale grey stripes, external to which is the dark ground colour. Eyes can be hard to see against the black ground colour - single row around the tip and along the sides.

trevorpreston wrote:

24 Jun 2021

I assumed i was looking at the dorsal surface here.
I couldnt see any stripes with the naked eye, but i can see what could be stripes now I have a closer look at the photos.
The reflections certainly make things difficult.

turb wrote:

24 Jun 2021

On the main photo, there is a strip of purplish-grey colour that I suspect is a "flash" of the outer ventral zone.

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