Thursday 26 July 2012

Flatworm with 60 eyes recorded in UK for the first time



Originally from Australasia - Is it an invasive species?
July 2012. A flatworm with between 50-60 eyes has been discovered at Shepreth L Moor nature reserve in Cambridgeshire.

The flatworm is believed to be a completely new, undescribed species to Britain and was found by Chief Executive of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, Brian Eversham.
Leading biology expert Dr Hugh Jones believes the flatworm is of antipodean descent but may carry out DNA testing to determine its exact ancestry. Dr Jones has only seen one specimen of the species in the Netherlands in April this year before Mr Eversham's discovery. It is thought the flatworm could have originated from New Zealand or Australia.
Brian Eversham said, "I was taking wildlife pictures one Sunday morning and turned over a log to reveal this rather cute flatworm. It is likely to be a close relative of a species found in Northern Ireland called Kontikia andersoni. Britain is one of the best countries for documenting wildlife so it's quite unusual to find a species here which has not been seen before."
Brian Eversham said "New Zealand seems to be the centre of diversity for land flatworms worldwide, and its climate is very similar to Britain, and we have strong historical links, which can result in species being transported accidentally to Britain.  I guess there are not very many land flatwork enthusiasts in New Zealand, so it’s escaped notice in its native land."  

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