Japanese Freshwater Planarians in Color
(Dr. M. Kawakatsu)

http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~gen-yu/plaj_list_e.html

By Gen-yu SASAKI (gen-yu@mtc.biglobe.ne.jp)

The taxonomy and distributional ecology of Japanese freshwater planarians ("Turbellaria": Seriata: Tricladida) have been studied by Dr. M. Kawakatsu and his team members for the past 50 years. In 1969, he published an illustrated list of this animal group with distribution maps and water color paintings of the 19 known species at that time (2 families and 6 genera; including 2 unidentified species of the genus Sphalloplana).

After the 1970s', 5 native species and 3 exotic species have been described and reported by Kawakatsu and his coauthors from Japan. The taxonomic system from the rank of suborder through infraorder, family, subfamily, genus, and subgenus was revised in 1974.

In the present web article a revised list of all the known species of Japanese freshwater planarians is given with their latest Linnean names and Japanese names (see Notes for the Taxonomic List) in the Roman alphabet (1 suborder, 2 infraorders, 4 families, 2 subfamilies, 8 genera, 1 subgenus, 27 species; including 2 undescribed species). Dr. Kawakatsu's (1969) original 2 color plates are also reproduced herein; no paintings of 8 species described after 1970 are included (see the mark "-" in the Taxonomic List).

Notes for the Taxonomic List

In Japan both Japanese and Linnean names of animals (and plants) are employed in usual biology books and encyclopedias. For this custom a complehensive explanation is given in the following English article.

• Grygier, M. J. 1993. Japanese zoological nomenclature. Amer. Assn. Zool. Nomenclature, for September 1993: 5-8.

The infraorder Cavernicola Sluys, 1990 (including 1 family and 5 genera), was established in the following publication.

• Sluys, R. 1990. A monograph of the Dimarcusidae (Platyhelminthes, Seriata, Tricladida). Zool. Scripta, 19 (1): 13-29.

Kawakatsu, 1969: Plate VII Dugesia japonica: 1a. The Matsumoto stock (sexual race). 1b. The Kyûshû stock (asexual race).

Kawakatsu, 1969: Plate VIII Sphalloplana sp. 2: 15a. The Himeji stock. 15b. Adhesive organ (an enlarged, ventral view of the head).

Acknowledgements

Sasaki, the compiler of this web article, wishes to express his hearty thanks to Dr. Masaharu Kawakatsu (Sapporo, Japan) for his kind permission for the opening of this home page mainly based upon his papers as well as for his careful reading and suggestions in an early draft. The compiler is also indebted to Dr. Robert W. Mitchell (Bandera, Texas, U.S.A.) for his kind reading and corrections of English usage in the final draft.

References

1. Kawakatsu, M. 1968. An illustrated list of Japanese freshwater planarians. Collect. and Breed. (Saishu-to-Shi'iku), Tokyo, 30 (2): 40-45. (In Japanese.)
2. Kawakatsu, M. 1969. An illustrated list of Japanese freshwater planarians in color. Bull. Fuji Women's College, (7), Ser. II: 45-91 (+ pls. VII-VIII).
3. Kawakatsu, M. 1973. Taxonomy and ecology of planarians, 1 and 2. The Nature and Animals (Doubutsu-to-Sizen), Tokyo, 3 (5): prefatory page; (6): 11-16. (In Japanese.)
4. Kawakatsu, M. 1991. Entry in the Japanese Red Data Book: Ectoplana limuli (Ijima et Kaburaki, 1916), Dugesia izuensis Kato, 1943, Pahagocata papillifera (Ijima et Kaburaki, 1916), and Dendrocoelopsis kishidai Kawakatsu, 1978. In: Environmental Agency of the Prime Minister's Office (ed.), "The Japanese Endangered Species, Invertebrates Other than Insects", pp. 233, 241, 249, 259. The Research Center of Wild Animals and Plants in Japan, Tokyo. (In Japanese.)
5. Kawakatsu, M. 1998. Plathelminthes: Turbellaria. In: Environmental Agency of the Prime Minister's Office (ed.), "A list of Japanese Wild Species of Plants and Animals: Invertebrates III", Chapt. 42. pp.19-22. (In Japanese.)

Additions and Corrections

(December 30, 2002)

This web article was opened in public on May 5, 2001. According to a suggestion of Dr. Kawakatsu, it becomes clear that some additions and corrections to the present article are necessary.

• Species list: 5 new Japanese names in the Roman alphabet were given to a single infraorder, a single family and 3 genera.
• Number of species: Items of the TRICLADIDA in the Table will be changed based upon the new data as follows: