Page 69 - Caribbean Reef Life Demo

LEOPARD FLATWORM (Pseudobiceros pardalis) < 13 cm / 5 in Dark purple body with orange spots outlined in black. Mantle has a margin of numerous tiny white spots.
Flatworms are often mistaken for nudibranchs because of their bright colors and the two raised aps near their heads. These are called pseudotentacles, which have concentrations of specialized cells for detecting light and smelling chemical traces in the water. Flatworms have no gill structures like the nudibranchs; they can absorb oxygen directly from the seawater. The mouth, underneath the body, is also used to expel waste. Some are able to swim using wave-like muscular contractions. Many atworms feed primarily on tunicates p. 112 .
Flatworms are rarely attacked by larger predators; their bright or contrasting colors are meant as a warning that they are highly toxic. Even so, they remain most active at night. If they are attacked they can uickly regenerate lost parts of their bodies. Flatworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites, with both male and female sexual organs, and they have an odd method of reproduction. They each have a harpoon-like penis, used to stab and inject sperm into another atworm. Some atworm species are also able to reproduce by ssion: they can simply split into two, resulting in a genetically identical clone of themselves.
162