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Phylum Platyhelminthes: Definition,

Features and Its Classification
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In this article we will discuss about Phylum

Platyhelminthes:- 1. Taxonomic Retrospect of
Phylum Platyhelminthes 2. Definition of
Phylum Platyhelminthes 3. Characteristic
Features 4. Scheme of Classification.

Taxonomic Retrospect of Phylum

Platyhelminthes:
Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae (1735) created a
phylum Vermes in which he in​cluded all invertebrates
except the insects but in the 13th ed. of Systema
Naturae (1788) all flat worms were placed under the
order Intestina.

Zeder (1800) first enlisted the parasitic worms.

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Lamarck (1816) separated between the flatworms and

roundworms.

Cuvier (1817) included the flatworms within Zoophyta

or Radiata.

Vogt (1851) called flatworms as Platyelmia.

Gegenbauer (1859) first coined the name

platyhelminthes and divided the phylum
platyhelminthes into 4 classes:

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(i) Turbellaria,

(ii) Trematoda.

(iii) Cestoda and

(iv) Nemertea but Minot (1876) excluded the

nemerteans from the Platyhelminthes.

Definition of Phylum
Platyhelminthes:
Triploblastic, acoelomate, un-segmented and bilaterally
symmetrical metazoans, without anus, circulatory
system, but with a mouth, protonephridial system,
parenchyma tissues within the space between the body
wall and the gut, and spiral cleavage development.

Characteristic Features of Phylum

Platyhelminthes:
1. Phylum Platyhelminthes are triploblastic, acoelomate
(without a body cavity) and bilaterally symmetrical
animals.

2. Body is soft, un-segmented and dorsoventrally

flattened.

3. Metameric segmentation and skeletal structures, in

any form, are absent. Pseudometamerism is seen in
some members (e.g., Eucestoda).

4. Anterior end of the body is differenti​ated into a head.

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5. The body is covered by epidermis which is soft,

syncytial and ciliated (e.g., Turbellaria) or in rest classes
(e.g., Trematoda, Monogenea and Cestoidea) there are a
syncytial, non-ciliated body covering, called tegument.

6. The parenchyma tissue, a mesenchy​mal layer which

occupies the entire space between the outer body wall
and the endoderm of the gut, develops from both
ectodermal and entomesodermal layer of the embryo.

7. The mouth of Phylum Platyhelminthes is the single

opening of the digestive tract and the anus is absent
when the digestive canal is present. The digestive
system is totally absent in Cestoidea and Acoela, and
digestive canal is branched in turbellarians. So the
digestive system is incomplete when present.

8. Locomotion of Phylum Platyhelminthes is effected by

the use of cilia rather than muscles.

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9. There are no respiratory and circula​tory systems.

Haemoglobin is present in a very few species (e.g.,
Derostoma, Syndesmis, Telorchis, etc.).

10. The nervous system is most primitive type and is

formed by longitudinal nerve cords with a pair of
cerebral gan​glion or brain.

11. The excretory system consists of protonephridia with

flame cells or bulbs.

12. Reproductive system is generally her​maphroditic

but the digenean flukes are gonochoristic (separate
sexes).

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13. Fertilization internal.

14. Cleavage spiral, and determinate in some species.

15. Development may be direct or indirect.

16. Flatworms are either mostly free-living

(Turbellarians) or are internal or exter​nal parasites
(Trematodes, cestodes and monogeneans).

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17. Parthenogenesis and polyembryony usually occur in

trematodes and tape​worms.

Scheme of Classification of Phylum

Platyhelminthes:
The scheme of classification is based on partly, outlined
by Ruppert and Barnes (1994), taken from the book
“Invertebrate Zoology”.

Phylum Platyhelminthes

Class Turbellaria

Class Trematoda

Subclass Digenea

Subclass Aspidogastrea (Aspidobothria)

Class Monogenea

Class Cestoidea (= Cestoda)

Subclass Cestodaria

Subclass Eucestoda

Classification with Characters:

Class 1. Turbellaria (Gk. turbella = a little string);

Approx. 3000 species.

Features:

1. Mostly free-living, primarily aquatic and the great

majority are marine and mostly benthic; a few are
terrestrial, some are commensals for parasites.

2. Generally small, flattened, bilaterally symmetrical

with a low level of cephalization.

3. Un-segmented body.

4. Cilia scattered on epidermis.

5. Locomotion by cilia with muscular undulations.

6. Body surface of many species bears small, rod-like,

hyaline rhabdites and related rhabdoids—unique in
turbellarians and the function is uncertain.

7. Presence of epidermal gland cells (Duo-gland, frontal

gland, rhabdite gland) help for adhesion, mucus se​-
cretion and other secretory functions.

8. Pigmented and some are brilliantly coloured.

9. Simple sac-like intestine with a simple or bulbous

pharynx in small-size spe​cies, and in large-size species
the in​testine is branched with a tubular pharynx.

10. Body surface acting as a permanent respiratory

surface.

11. Suckers absent.

12. Nervous system is a diffuse nerve-net with a cerebral

ganglion, a primitive type found in some forms and a
dis​tinct brain with 1-3 pairs of longitudi​nal nerve cords
found in advanced forms.

13. Pigment cup ocelli and statocysts are the sensory

organs.

14. Excretory system is protonephridia which includes

flame cells in most cases.

15. Mostly hermaphrodite.

16. Asexual reproduction in many species (e.g.,

freshwater and terrestrial turbellarians).

17. Spiral cleavage in many forms (e.g., in some acoels

and polyclads),

18. Generally development direct.

19. A free-swimming larval stage Muller’s larva is found

in some forms (e.g., a few entolecithal polyclads).

It includes the following major orders:

The orders of the class Turbellaria are divided into two

groups on the basis of their organizations.

A. Archoophoran turbellaria:

1. Primitive type of organization.

2. Vitellaria (or called yolk gland) absent.

3. Eggs entolecithal.

Order 1. Nemertodermatida:

1. Free-living marine, small species re​semble the acoels

in many respects.

2. Single flagellated sperm possesses 9 + 2 microtubular

arrangements.

3. Presence of a permanent epithelial gut cavity.

4. Statocysts usually with two staloliths rather than one.

Example. Nemertoderma.

Order 2. Acoela:

1. Small marine turbellarians.

2. Mouth and pharynx present but no digestive cavity.

3. Protonephridia and gonads absent.

4. Statocyst with a single statolith.

5. A few species are commensals with other

invertebrates (e.g., Ectocotyla paguris)

Examples. Amphiscolopus, Afronta, Convoluta,

Archayhanostoma, Paratomella.

Order 3. Catenulida:

1. Mostly small freshwater species, al​though a few are

marine.

2. Simple pharynx.

3. Ciliated, sac-like intestine.

4. Unpaired median protonephridium.

5. Unpaired gonads.

6. Statocyst sometimes present.

Examples. Stenostomum, Catenula.

Order 4. Macrostomida:

1. Most species are interstitial and live in sand grains of

either marine or fresh​water sediments.

2. Pharynx simple and sac-like intestine.

3. Paired protonephridia.

4. Numerous adhesive glands are present in most

species.

5. Statocysts are absent.

Examples. Microstomum, Macrostomum.

Order 5. Polycladida:

1. Mostly benthic marine of moderate size; some pelagic

and some symbiotic.

2. Eyes numerous.

3. Ruffled plicate pharynx in most cases.

4. Highly branched gut.

5. Many are brightly coloured.

6. Greatly flattened and oval in shape.

Examples. Stylochus, Adenoplana, Notoplana,

Hoplolana, Planocera, Pseudoceros.

B. Neoophoran turbellaria:

1. Advanced level of organization.

2. Vitellaria (yolk gland) present.

3. Eggs ectolecithal.

Order 1. Lecithoepitheliata:

1. Marine, freshwater and terrestrial spe​cies.

2. Mouth and simple or bulbous pha​rynx are at the

anterior end of the body.

3. Simple intestine.

4. Penis with cuticular stylet.

5. Eggs are surrounded by yolk cells.

Example. Prorhynchus, Hofstenia.

Order 2. Prolecithophora:

1. Marine and freshwater species.

2. Plicate (folded) or bulbous pharynx.

3. Simple intestine.

4. Penis unarmed.

5. Ovary produces eggs and follicle-like yolk cells.

6. Some species are ectoparasites on cer​tain decapod

crustaceans.

Example. Plagiostomum.

Order 3. Proseriata:

1. Mostly marine.

2. Pharynx plicate and tubular.

3. Gut simple.

4. Statocysts present.

5. Ovaries and yolk glands separate.

Examples. Otoplana, Nemertoplana, Bothrioplana.

Order 4. Rhabdocoela:

1. Small marine or freshwater turbella​rians.

2. Bulbous pharynx.

3. Digestive tract straight.

4. Protonephridia either 1 or 2.

5. Colourless.

6. Commensal or parasitic; some are with tentacles.

Examples. Graffilla, Mesostoma, Syndesmis, Gyratrix,

Temnocephala.

Order 5. Tricladida:

1. Marine, freshwater and terrestrial forms.

2. Relatively large-size species.

3. Mouth mid-dorsal and with proboscis.

4. Plicate pharynx.

5. Three-branched digestive tube.

6. Eye spots present.

7. Two ovaries and two or numerous testes.

8. Mostly free-living.

The freshwater species of this order are known as

planarians.

Examples:

Bdelloura (commensal on the book gills of horse-shoe

crabs), Polycelis, Dugesia (pre​viously called Planaria,
com​mon in ponds, lakes and streams), Euplanaria,
Bipalium and Geoplana (terrestrial triclads), Procotyla,
Planaria (Northern Hemisphere), Dugesia can differ
from Planaria by the presence of eyes with pigment
cups.

Class 2. Trematoda (Gk. trematodes = perfo​-

rated):

Features:

1. All are parasites.

2. Unsegmented, dorso-ventrally flattend body, hence

trematodes are called “flukes”.

3. A syncytial, non-ciliated body cover​ing or tegument

present.

4. Rhabdites absent in epidermis.

5. One or more well developed suckers are present. Oral

sucker for feeding and ventral sucker (acetabulum) for
attachment.

6. Digestive tract complete with two branches.

7. Mostly hermaphrodites.

8. No asexual reproduction.

9. In most Cases the testes are two or many, but always

single ovary.

10. Egg develops as a ciliated miracidium larva which

infects the intermediate host (molluscan).

11. Most are endoparasites and have two or three hosts

in the life cycle.

It includes two subclasses—(i) Digenea (ii)

Aspidobothria (= Aspidogastrea)

Subclass 1. Digenea (Gk. di = two + genos = a

race, kind; Approx. 11200 species).

Features:

1. Flattened, oval to elongated body.

2. Mostly with two suckers; mouth within oral sucker

and a ventral sucker or acetabulum which is usually
larger.

3. Hooks absent.

4. Gut present. Two blind intestinal caeca.

5. Single excretory pore situated posteriorly.

6. Usually two testes.

7. Uterus long and tubular.

8. Life cycle is completed with at least two hosts. The

adults occur in the definitive host (normally a
vertebrate) and larval stages within intermediate hosts
(gastropod snails), If there is a second intermediate
host, they are usually an arthropod.

9. Chiefly endoparasite.

Examples. Fasciola, Schistosoma (Blood fluke),

Clonorchis.

Subclass 2. Aspidogastrea (= Aspi​dobothria);

Approx. 35 species.

Features:

1. Oral sucker or anterior adhesive struc​tures absent.

2. Whole ventral surface of the body has a big septate

sucker or rows of suckers.

3. Single posterior protonephridium present.

4. Digestive tract with a single intestinal caecum.

5. Typically single testis present.

6. Mostly endoparasites in the gut of fish, reptiles or in

the renal or pericar​dial cavities of gastropodes and bi​-
valve molluscs (fresh-water mussels).

7. Simple life cycle with a single host in most cases.

Examples:

Aspidogaster, Stichocotyle, Cotylapsis.

Class 3. Monogenea (Gk. monos = single +

genos = a race)

Features:

1. Ectoparasites of aquatic vertebrates (on fishes and

also on amphibians and reptiles).

2. Dorsoventrally flattened body.

3. Sucker is weak or absent.

4. Posterior end bears a large specialized adhesive disc,

called haptor (= opisthaptor) which bears hooks and
suckers, used for attachment. In addi​tion there is an
anterior adhesive or​gan, called prohaptor, with
adhesive glands and suckers.

5. Gut present but the mouth lacks a sucker.

6. Inconspicuous protonephridia include paired

excretory pores situated anterodorsally.

7. Single host in the life cycle.

Experiment
8. There is no intermediate to Observe
host and the one egg gives
rise to only one adultAdaptive Features
worm, hence in Animals
the name
(With Pictures)
“Monogenea”.

9. Ciliated Oncomiracidium larva in the life cycle which

bears 3 bands of cilia and 1 to 2 pairs of eyes.

There is no subclass or order under Monogenea.

Examples. Gyrodactylus, Polystoma, Sphyranura,

Dactylogyrus, Diplozoon.

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Features:

1. Gut parasites of the vertebrates.

2. Generally called tape-worms.

3. Body covered by a non-ciliated syncy​tial tegument.

4. Body divided into 3 regions:

(i) Head or scolex usually with hooks and suckers for

adhesion in the host’s gut,

(ii) The proliferative neck and

(iii) Strobila which consists of a large number of

segments, called proglottids.

5. Mouth, digestive tract and sense or​gans absent.

6. Organs of attachment in the form of hooks and

suckers are present.

7. Each segment excepting head and neck is provided

with one or two sets of complex sex organs.

8. Hermaphrodite.

9. Hooked embryos, called Oncosphere larva.

10. Complicated life cycle with one or more

intermediate hosts.

It includes two subclasses:

Subclass 1. Cestodaria:

Features:

1. Body small and undivided.

2. No scolex; proboscis or sucker at the anterior part of

the body.