Fecampiida Explained

Fecampiida is an order of flatworms in the class Rhabditophora. It is a considerably recent clade, erected after molecular studies.^[1]

Description

The order Fecampiida, as currently defined, was erected based on molecular studies.^[2] They all are parasitic organisms and are united by a similar development of the basal bodies during spermiogenesis.^[3]

Classification

Three families of Fecampiida were initially classified in different flatworm orders: Urastomatidae and Genostomatidae were considered prolecithophorans, while Fecampiidae was considered a rhabdocoel. When the genus Notentera was discovered, its relationship with Fecampiidae was clear based on morphology, and both groups were united under Fecampiida. Further ultrastructural studies suggested that Urastomatidae and Genostomatidae were closely related to Fecampiidae and Notenteridae, which was confirmed by molecular studies.^[4]

Due to similarities in the protonephridial flame bulb, sperm and spermiogenesis, as well as the parasitic lifestyle, fecampiids were thought to be closely related to neodermatans, but molecular studies revealed them to be more closely related to triclads and prolecithophorans.

Notes and References

1. Boll . Piter Kehoma . Rossi . Ilana . Amaral . Silvana Vargas do . Oliveira . Simone Machado de . Müller . Eliara Solange . Lemos . Virginia Silva . Leal-Zanchet . Ana Maria . Platyhelminthes ou apenas semelhantes a Platyhelminthes? Relações filogenéticas dos principais grupos de turbelários . Neotropical Biology and Conservation . 8 . 1 . 2013 . 2236-3777 . 10.4013/nbc.2013.81.06 . Portuguese. free .
2. Norén . Michael . Jondelius . Ulf . The phylogenetic position of the Prolecithophora (Rhabditophora, 'Platyhelminthes') . Zoologica Scripta . 31 . 4 . 2002 . 403–414 . 0300-3256 . 10.1046/j.1463-6409.2002.00082.x. 86054323 .
3. Kornakova . Elena E. . Joffe . Boris I. . A new variant of the neodermatan-type spermiogenesis in a parasitic 'turbellarian', Notentera ivanovi (Platyhelminthes) and the origin of the Neodermata . Acta Zoologica . 80 . 2 . 1999 . 135–152 . 0001-7272 . 10.1046/j.1463-6395.1999.80220012.x.
4. Littlewood . D. T. J. . Rohde . K. . Bray . R. A. . Herniou . E. A. . Phylogeny of the Platyhelminthes and the evolution of parasitism . Biological Journal of the Linnean Society . 68 . 1–2 . 1999 . 257–287 . 0024-4066 . 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1999.tb01169.x. free .