(US) +1 (786) 655-4040, *Call costs: Local rates apply from South Africa, UK and US otherwise international rates apply, newsletter@africageographic.com Evolutionarily simple, the flatworm has no body cavity and no specialized respiratory or circulatory . Adult monogeneans have large attachment organs at the rear, known as haptors (Greek , haptein, means "catch"), which have suckers, clamps, and hooks. The name "Monogenea" is based on the fact that these parasites have only one nonlarval generation. This makes it difficult to work out their relationships with other groups of animals, as well as the relationships between different groups that are described as members of the Platyhelminthes. A: Paraplanocera oligoglena. It is hermaphroditic (having both male and female sex organs). By moving these hairs and secreting a slime they are able to move quite rapidly over the reef. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Flatworms get their name because they are just that - flat worms. While in quarantine, if a close inspection shows flatworm presence, treating only the infected coral will lessen any impact on your display tank. They feed on a variety of marine organisms from sponges, mollusks, bryozoans, ascidians, protozoa, other small marine organisms and some even eat algae. There are several types of flatworms in the marine aquarium but they can all be killed or removed the same way. The specimen below would be difficult to spot on a darker background. Part 2 - Flatworms, Snails & Limpets - LiveAquaria Most of these species belong to the order Neorhabdocoela, in which the alimentary canal is either absent or reduced. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Many marine flatworms mimic poisonous Nudibranchs, this is known as Batesian mimicry where the non poisonous flatworm which is called the Mimic, has coloration which closely resembles the Model, in this case being the species of nudibranch that it resembles. Or is there a deeper significance? Temporary freshwater pools may contain adult forms that survive periods of dryness in an encysted state.