Gigantea (planarian)

Gigantea is a genus of land planarians from the Neotropical realm.

Gigantea
Gigantea gigantea
Scientific classification
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Genus:
Gigantea

Type species
Geoplana gigantea
von Graff, 1899

Description

Species of Gigantea have a large, broad and flat body. The copulatory apparatus has a permanent penis and the ovovitelline ducts enter the female atrium from below.[1] This definition, however, is incomplete regarding the anatomical features currently considered in the definition of planarian genera and Gigantea is certainly a heterogeneous genus.[2]

Etymology

The name Gigantea (Latin for "giant") comes from the specific epithet, gigantea, of the type-species, originally described as Geoplana gigantea due to its large size.[1]

Species

Currently, there are 13 species assigned to the genus Gigantea:

References

  1. Ogren, Robert E.; Kawakatsu, Masaharu (1990). "Index to the species of the family Geoplanidae (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola) Part I: Geoplaninae". The Bulletin of Fuji Women's College Series 2. 28: 79–166.
  2. Carbayo, F. (2008). "A new species of land planarian of Gigantea Ogren and Kawakatsu, 1990 (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Terricola) from Colombia, with taxonomic remarks on the genus". Italian Journal of Zoology. 75 (1): 85–95. doi:10.1080/11250000701693255. ISSN 1125-0003.
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