A Modern Inventory of the Polyclad Fauna of the Caribbean

In this project, we are collecting new and known species of Caribbean polyclads for accession into museums and into a large, web-based database (CARIBE-CLADIDA). Collected specimens are fixed for histology and preserved for DNA analysis. Field data, images, and associated references are linked to individual specimens. Detailed taxonomic information, DNA and tissue vouchers, DNA sequences, and images for each species are collected and included in the database.

Additionally, we are developing image-based identification keys for the Polycladida.

Access the database: CARIBE-CLADIDA (once connected, select "Caribbean" for range; please note, these pages are under construction)

Access the identification key: IDENT-A-WORM (please note, these pages are under construction)

Publications:

• Rawlinson KA (2008) Biodiversity of coastal flatworm assemblages in the wider Caribbean. Mar Biol 153: 769-778 (pdf)
• Cover of Zootaxa: Bolanos DM, Quiroga SY, Litvaitis MK (2007) Five new species of cotylean flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from the wider Caribbean. Zootaxa 1650: 1-23 (pdf)
• Bolanos DM, Quiroga SY, Litvaitis MK (2006) A new acotylean flatworm, Armatoplana colombiana n. sp. (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Stylochoplanidae) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, South America. Zootaxa 1162: 53-64 (pdf)
• Quiroga SY, Bolanos DM, Litvaitis MK (2006) First description of deep-sea polyclad flatworms from the North Pacific: Anocellidus n. gen. profundus n. sp. (Anocellidae, n. fam.) and Oligocladus voightae n. sp. (Euryleptidae). Zootaxa 1317:1-19 (pdf)
• Quiroga SY, Bolanos DM, Litvaitis MK (2004) A checklist of polyclad flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, South America. Zootaxa 633: 1-12 (pdf)
• Quiroga SY, Bolanos M, Litvaitis MK (2004) Policládidos (Platyhelminthes: “Turbellaria”) del Atlántico Tropical Occidental. Polyclads (Platyhelminthes: “Turbellaria”) from the Tropical Western Atlantic. Biota Colombiana 5: 159-172 (pdf)