Cura (flatworm) explained

Cura is a genus of freshwater flatworm (triclads) belonging to the family Dugesiidae.

Cura was ranked as a subgenus of Dugesia until 1974, then it was elevated to the genus rank.^[1]

Description

Individuals of this genus have a low triangle-shaped head.^[2]

Distribution

Cura species present a disjunct distribution. C. foremanii inhabits North America,^[3] while C. fortis is found in New Zealand,^[4] and C. pinguis in Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia.^[5]

Phylogeny

Phylogenetic tree including five dugesiid genera after Álvarez-Presas et al., 2008:^[6]

Notes and References

1. Ball, I. R. 1974. A new genus of freshwater triclad from Tasmania with reviews of the related genera Cura and Neppia (Turbellaria, Tricladida). Life Sci. Contr. R. Ont. Mus. No. 99:1-48.
2. Ball IR: A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the freshwater triclads (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria). Biology of the Turbellaria (Edited by: Riser NW & Morse MP). New York: McGraw-Hill New York 1974, pp.339-401.
3. Ball . I. N. R. . Fernando . C. H. . 10.1038/2211143a0 . Freshwater Triclads (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria) and Continental Drift . Nature . 221 . 5186 . 1143–1144 . 1969 . 4975274.
4. Sluys, R., Kawakatsu, M., 2001. Contribution to an inventory of the freshwater planarians of Australia and New Zealand (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae), with distribution maps of the species examined. Beaufortia/Bull Zool Mus Univ Amsterdam 51(10):163-198
5. Kawakatsu, M., 1969. Report on freshwater and land planarians from New Caledonia. Bull. Osaka Mus. Nat. Hist., 22: 1-14
6. Álvarez-Presas . M. . Baguñà . J. . Riutort . M. . 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.032 . Molecular phylogeny of land and freshwater planarians (Tricladida, Platyhelminthes): From freshwater to land and back . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 47 . 2 . 555–568 . 2008 . 18359250.