Platyhelminthes
or Flatworms
Characteristics
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- 3 layers of tissues with organs
- Body contains no internal cavity
- Soft bodied
- Primarily carnivores
- Most flatworms can reproduce sexually or asexually
3 platyhelminthes plus facts
- Planarians - mostly free-living flatworms of the class Turbellaria (phylum Platyhelminthes). Most planarians occur in fresh water and are sometimes seen in large masses; some species are marine. Most are carnivorous night feeders.
- Flukes - Intestinal trematodes are flat hermaphroditic worms that vary in length. Of the approximately 70 species known to colonize the human intestine, only a few species are known to cause actual infection.
- Tapeworms - Tapeworms are flat, segmented worms that live in the intestines of some animals. Animals can become infected with these parasites when grazing in pastures or drinking contaminated water.Eating undercooked meat from infected animals is the main cause of tapeworm infection in people.
World's Weirdest - Flatworm Penis Fencing