Bipalium nobile explained

Bipalium nobile is a land planarian of the subfamily Bipaliinae found in Japan.

Description

Bipalium nobile is a very long planarian, reaching up to 1m (03feet) in length. As in other species of Bipalium, the head is expanded, being fan-shaped in live animals. The dorsal color is pale yellowish brown with five blackish brown longitudinal stripes. The head is usually darker than the rest of the body.^[1]

Ecology

Little is known about the ecology of B. nobile. The species started to be found in Tokyo by the end of the 1970s. As it was not reported in previous surveys in the area, it is assumed to be introduced from elsewhere.

Studies on regeneration have shown that B. nobile has a great regenerative ability similar to that of freshwater planarians.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Kawakatsu . Masaharu . Makino . Naoya . Shirasawa . Yasuko . Bipalium nobile sp.nov. (Turbellaria, Tricladida, Terricola), a New Land Planarian from Tokyo . Annotationes Zoologicae Japonenses . 55 . 4 . 236–262 . 1982 .
2. Shirasawa . Yasuko . Makino . Naoya . Observations on the Regeneration of the Sagittal Pieces in the Land Planarian, Bipalium nobile . Bulletin of Tokyo Medical College . 14 . 43–60 . 1988.