Phylum Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)

Domain: Eucarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum Phenology

Classes of the Phylum Platyhelminthes Discovered in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Class Common Name Photo Example Where? Phenology
CestodaTapeworms(NA) HerePhenology
MonogenoideaParasitic Flatworms(NA) HerePhenology
TrematodaFlukes(NA) HerePhenology
TurbellariaPlanarias and relatives HerePhenology

Can't find the classes you are looking for? Note:
Classes on this list are only those contained in the ATBI database,
and do not neccessarily include all Park classes from historic park reports, literature,
or other sources that have not yet been entered in the Biodiversity Database.

In Case You Didn't Know ...
The flatworms are a phylum of soft-bodied invertebrates that set themselves apart from other worms by the following characteristics:
  • They are unsegmented.
  • They have no body cavity, and no specialized circulatory or respiratory organs.
  • They are primarily carnivorous predators.
  • Their digestive system consists of a blind sac with a single opening that serves as mouth and anus.
Of the 50 species identified so far, 45 of them were discovered since DLIA has supported and coordinated this collection project. 7 species, so far, have been found to be new to science.


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