Patterns of host-parasite associations between marine meiofaunal flatworms (Platyhelminthes) and rhytidocystids (Apicomplexa).

Microturbellarians are abundant and ubiquitous members of marine meiofaunal communities around the world. Because of their small body size, these microscopic animals are rarely considered as hosts for parasitic organisms. Indeed, many protists, both free-living and parasitic ones, equal or surpass meiofaunal animals in size.

Microscopic marine invertebrates are reservoirs for cryptic and diverse protists and fungi.

Background: Microbial symbioses in marine invertebrates are commonplace. However, characterizations of invertebrate microbiomes are vastly outnumbered by those of vertebrates. Protists and fungi run the gamut of symbiosis, yet eukaryotic microbiome sequencing is rarely undertaken, with much of the focus on bacteria.

A revision of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 (Rhabdocoela: Schizorhynchia), with the description of six new species.

A comprehensive morphological and taxonomic account of the members of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 is presented. Six new species are described: Cheliplana asinaraensis n. sp.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of Koinocystididae (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia), with the description of three new genera and twelve new species.

The taxon Koinocystididae is the third most species-rich family within Eukalyptorhynchia. However, its diversity and phylogeny have been largely neglected in former studies. We introduce three new genera and twelve new species of Koinocystididae including Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen.

The curious and neglected soft-bodied meiofauna: Rouphozoa (Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes).

Gastrotricha and Platyhelminthes form a clade called Rouphozoa. Representatives of both taxa are main components of meiofaunal communities, but their role in the trophic ecology of marine and freshwater communities is not sufficiently studied. Traditional collection methods for meiofauna are optimized for Ecdysozoa, and include the use of fixatives or flotation techniques that are unsuitable for the preservation and identification of soft-bodied meiofauna.

A new case of kleptoplasty in animals: Marine flatworms steal functional plastids from diatoms.

To date, sea slugs have been considered the only animals known to sequester functional algal plastids into their own cells, via a process called "kleptoplasty." We report here, however, that endosymbionts in the marine flatworms and are isolated plastids stolen from diatoms. Ultrastructural data show that kleptoplasts are located within flatworm cells, while algal nuclei and other organelles are absent.

Four new species of the genus Paraustrorhynchus (Rhabdocoela: Kalyptorhynchia: Polycystididae).

Four new species of Paraustrorhynchus (Rhabdocoela: Kalyptorhynchia: Polycystididae) are described: two from Southern China (P. shenda n. sp.

Species diversity in the marine microturbellarian Astrotorhynchus bifidus sensu lato (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela) from the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

Increasing evidence suggests that many widespread species of meiofauna are in fact regional complexes of (pseudo-)cryptic species. This knowledge has challenged the 'Everything is Everywhere' hypothesis and also partly explains the meiofauna paradox of widespread nominal species with limited dispersal abilities. Here, we investigated species diversity within the marine microturbellarian Astrotorhynchus bifidus sensu lato in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.