Dochmiotrema limicola Hofsten, 1907

Noreña, Carolina, Eitam, Avi & Blaustein, Leon, 2008, “ Microturbellarian ” flatworms (Platyhelminthes) from freshwater pools: New species and records from Israel, Zootaxa 1705, pp. 1-20 : 8

Dochmiotrema limicola Hofsten, 1907

( Figure 6)

Synonyms: Dochmiotrema valaamica Nasonov, 1917 Olisthanella valaamica Nasonov, 1917 Typhloplanella limicola Cordé, 1923

Locality. Temporary pools on Mount Kavul and Mount Shekhanya, Lower Galilee.

Material. Few individuals. Live observations, squash preparations, whole-mounted individual, photographs and two sagittally-sectioned individuals deposited in the Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, Israel, Catalogue Number VR-25076 and VR-25077.

Morphological remarks. Opening of the excretions pore separated in the caudal end of the body (in European specimens the excretory pore is situated caudally to the mouth ( Luther, 1963) (Fig. 5A)).

Ecological features. Dochmiotrema limicola is an inhabitant of the sandy, muddy bottoms of shallow pools and seas. It is possible, that this species could tolerate low brackish conditions (S: 0.39 0/0 0; cf. Luther, 1963) In Israel, D. limicola was found in freshwater pools during the late winter and early spring (March 2001, February–April 2002).

Dochmiotrema limicola is well-distributed in Europe ( Luther, 1963; Müller & Faubel, 1993), and is also known from Africa ( Mead & Kolasa, 1984). It was reported from Israel for the first time by Eitam et al. (2004).