- Source: Maricola
Maricola is a suborder of triclad flatworms including species that mainly inhabit salt water environments. However, some species are also known from freshwater or brackish waters.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
= History
=The Maricola group was first proposed by Hallez in 1892. He recognized three families: Otoplanida, Procerodida and Bdellourida. Two years later, in 1884, Hallez renamed these families as Otoplanidae, Procerodidae and Bdellouridae. In 1906 Böhmig classified the Maricola in two families and five subfamilies: Procerodidae (Euprocerodinae, Cercyrinae, Micropharynginae) and Bdellouridae (Uteriporinae, Eubdellourinae). In 1909 Wilhelmi wrote a monograph on the group in which five families were described: Procerodidae, Uteriporidae, Cercyridae, Bdellouridae, Micropharyngidae. Von Graff used the same classification in 1916. In 1989 Sluys recognized the six present families on the basis of phylogenetic analyses of the whole group.
= Classification
=Taxonomical classification after Sluys et al. 2009:
Order Tricladida
Suborder Maricola
Superfamily Cercyroidea
Family Centrovarioplanidae
Family Cercyridae
Family Meixnerididae
Superfamily Bdellouroidea
Family Uteriporidae
Family Bdellouridae
Superfamily Procerodoidea
Family Procerodidae
Superfamily incerta sedis
Genus Micropharynx
Genus Tiddles
= Phylogeny
=Phylogenetic supertree after Sluys et al., 2009: