Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Spiralia
Cladus: Platyzoa
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Subphylum: Rhabditophora
Ordo: Proseriata
Infraordines (2): Lithophora – Unguiphora
Familiae Incertae sedis (1): Ciliopharyngiellidae
Genera Incertae sedis (1): Prosogynopora
Name
Proseriata Meixner, 1938
References
Curini-Galletti, M. et al. 2010: New insights on the phylogenetic relationships of the Proseriata (Platyhelminthes), with proposal of a new genus of the family Coelogynoporidae. Zootaxa, 2537: 1–18. Preview
Links
Proseriata in the World Register of Marine Species
Proseriata is an order of free-living flatworms in the class Rhabditophora with over 400 species described worldwide.[1]
Description
Proseriate flatworms are minute aquatic organisms, usually with an elongate body. There are no strong synapomorphies for the group, but it is supported by molecular studies. The suggested synapomorphies include the lack of lamellated rhabdites, an otherwise synapomorphy of Rhabditophora, and some features of the ultrastructure of the protonephridia and the cilia of epidermal cells.[2]
Ecology
Most proseriates occur in marine environments, at the coastal zones, and are particularly common in high-energy habitats with medium to coarse sediments, sometimes being the dominant animal group in such areas. They are also common in brackish water, but few species occur in freshwater.[1]
Most proseriates are carnivores or scavengers, but some species are ectoparasitic on marine crustaceans. As they occur in very high densities in some habitats, they may have a considerable impact on the population of other meiofaunal organisms.[1]
References
Littlewood, D.T.J.; Curini-Galletti, Marco; Herniou, Elisabeth A. (2000). "The Interrelationships of Proseriata (Platyhelminthes: Seriata) Tested with Molecules and Morphology". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 16 (3): 449–466. doi:10.1006/mpev.2000.0802. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 10991797.
Curini-Galletti, Marco (2001). "Chapter 5: The Proseriata". In Littlewood, D. T. J.; Bray, R. A. (eds.). Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes. CRC Press. pp. 41–48. ISBN 978-0-748-40903-7.
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