Girardia tigrina

Girardia tigrina, known as the brown planarian or the immigrant triclad flatworm, is a species of dugesiid native to the Americas.^[1] It has been accidentally introduced into Europe^[2] and Japan.^[3]

Girardia tigrina
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Order:	Tricladida
Family:	Dugesiidae
Genus:	Girardia
Species:	G. tigrina
Binomial name
Girardia tigrina (Girard, 1850)
Synonyms
Dugesia tigrina (Girard,1850) Girardia jimi Martins, 1970 Dugesia jimi Martins, 1970 Euplanaria tigrina (Girard, 1850) Planaria tigrina Girard, 1850

Description

G. tigrina individuals are around 10 mm in length. They have a head with two broad and short auricles. The two eyes are in two pigment-free patches. The dorsal surface of the body has numerous pigment spots.^[3]

Distribution and ecology

Originally from the Americas, Girardia tigrina has become an invasive species in Europe and Japan. Since being first recorded in France in 1925,^[4] this species has been reported from many other European countries, including Germany,^[5][6] Italy,^[7] the Netherlands,^[8] Romania,^[9] and Wales.^[10]

In North Wales, this species has displaced the native triclad species Polycelis nigra and Polycelis tenuis due to its superior exploitation of food.^[2]

Diet

G. tigrina is a carnivorous species that feeds on invertebrates such as oligochaetes, isopods, chironomids, snails, caddisflies, and mayflies.^[2]

Karyology

The haploid number is n=8. There are diploid (2n=16) and triploid (3n=24) specimens.^[3]

References

1. Ball, I. R.: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW and Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974 , 339-401.
2. Gee, H.; Young, J. O. (1993). "The food niches of the invasive Dugesia tigrina (Girard) and indigenous Polycelis tennis Ijima and P. Nigra (Müller) (Turbellaria; Tricladida) in a Welsh lake". Hydrobiologia. 254 (2): 99. doi:10.1007/BF00014313.
3. Sluys, R., Kawakatsu, M., Yamamoto, K., 2010. "Exotic freshwater planarians currently known from Japan". Belgian Journal of Zoology, 140 (Suppl.). p. 103-109
4. Gourbault, N. (1969). "Expansion de dugesia tigrina (Girard), planaire américaine introduite en Europe". Annales de Limnologie. 5: 3–7. doi:10.1051/limn/1969006.
5. Meinken (H.)., 1925. Ein verkannter Laichraùher — Wochenschrift fur Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 22 S : 94-96.
6. Meinken (H.)., 1927. Planaria maculata, ein aus Nordamerika eingeschleffter Laichriiber und seine Vertilgung — Blatter fiir Aquarien und Terrarienkunde, 38 S : 131-133.
7. Benazzi M., 1970. Karyological research on the American planarians Dugesia dorotocephala and Dugesia tigrina. J. Biol. Psychol. / Worm Runner's Digest, XII (1): 81-82.
8. Velde, G. (1975). "The immigrant triclad flatworm Dugesia tigrina (Girard) (Plathelminthes, Turbellaria). Range-extension and ecological position in the Netherlands". Hydrobiological Bulletin. 9 (3): 123–130. doi:10.1007/BF02263331.
9. An der Lan (H.)., 1962. Zur Turbellarien Fauna der Danau. Arch. Hydrobiol., suppl., 2 7 : 3-27.
10. Gee, H., 1990. The biology of the immigrant triclad Dugesia tigrina, (Girard): a comparative study with native triclad species. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool, England.