Acoela & Nemertodermatida from the Belgian Coast

IMIS Project Number: 3279
Acoela & Nemertodermatida from the Belgian part of the North Sea Acoela en Nemertodermatida are two taxa of bilateral symmetrical animals, characterised by an acoelomate body, een fully ciliated epidermis gecilieerde epidermis en singular opening to the intestine.Both taxa possess a statocyst, containing one statolith in the Acoela en two or more in the j Nemertodermatida. Taxonomically both groups are traditinally placed within the Platyhelminthes, but recent molecular research places them as two distinct taxa, at the basis of the Bilateria. This research delas with the specification mechanisms of the germinal line within the Acoela, from a morfological point of view. So far no published data exist on the occurrence of Acoela and Nemertodermatida species in the Belgian coastal waters. Part of the samples specimens will be used for morfological investigations while another part will be used to start laboratory cultures.

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Plan code Principal Investigator Duration Shared campaigns