Lake Pedder planarian explained

The Lake Pedder planarian (Romankenkius pedderensis) is a species of invertebrate in the family Dugesiidae.^[1] This species was gregarious within the aquatic community of the lake before it flooded, living alongside small fish and invertebrates such as the Pedder galaxias and Lake Pedder earthworm.^[2]

Distribution and conservation status

The species is endemic to the Lake Pedder area in Tasmania, Australia. This species has been listed as extinct by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 1986, although their last conservation assessment was dated 1996.^[3] Live specimens of this species were collected in 2006^[4] and the ongoing existence of the species was again confirmed in 2012.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Sluys . Ronald . Kawakatsu . Masaharu . Riutort . Marta . Baguñà . Jaume . A new higher classification of planarian flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) . Journal of Natural History . 2009 . 43 . 29–30 . 1763–1777 . 10.1080/00222930902741669. 85174457 .
2. Vos . Rick De . 2019-09-25 . Inundation, Extinction and Lacustrine Lives . Cultural Studies Review . en . 25 . 1 . 102–118 . 10.5130/csr.v25i1.6394 . 1837-8692. free .
3. World Conservation Monitoring Centre . Romankenkius pedderensis . 1996 . e.T19741A9008480 . 1996 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T19741A9008480.en .
4. Grant . Lauryne J. . Sluys . Ronald . Blair . David . Biodiversity of Australian freshwater planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Paludicola): New species and localities, and a review of paludicolan distribution in Australia . Systematics and Biodiversity . 2006 . 4 . 4 . 435–471 . 10.1017/S1477200006002064. 86477420 .
5. Forteath . GNR . Osborn . AW . Survival of endemic invertebrates of Lake Pedder and Lake Edgar subsequent to inundation . Records of the Queen Victoria Museum . 2012 . 116 .