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Acoel Flatworm Waminoa species

These diminutive flatworms look like colored spots on the bubble coral on which they live. Their ultra-thin bodies glide over the coral surface as they graze, probably eating organic debris trapped by coral mucus. Acoel flatworms have no eyes and instead of a gut, they have a network of digestive cells. They are able to reproduce by fragmentation, each piece forming a new individual. The genus is difficult to identify to species level and the distribution is uncertain.

Acoel Flatwormzoom image
  • Class Turbellaria
  • Length Less than in (5 mm)
  • Depth Not recorded
  • Habitat On bubble coral (Pleurogyra sinuosa)
  • Distribution Tropical Indian and Pacific oceans
Acoel Flatworm habitat mapzoom image