Dalyellia (Platyhelminthes) Movies

Dalyellia Video No. 1 - A dalyellia flatworm creeps slowly across the microscope field under phase contrast illumination at a magnification of 400x with a playing time of 51.0 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (21.2 MB).

Dalyellia Video No. 2 - Both eyes are evident in this dalyellia flatworm as it travels in twists and turns through pond debris; under DIC illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 87.2 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (36.3 MB).

Dalyellia belongs to the order Rhabdocoela, a highly diverse group of flatworms, or turbellarians. Members of Rhabdocoela are simple organisms, having either a simple sac-like intestine or no intestine. A microturbellarian genus, most species of Dalyellia are less than one millimeter in length, although some can reach several millimeters.

Turbellarians are common and numerous in freshwater habitats. Freshwater turbellarians are largely free-living organisms, although some freshwater species are ectoparasitic on crustaceans and turtles and some species live symbiotically within the bodies of larger organisms. They can be found in various aquatic systems such as ponds, lakes, streams, ditches, and temporary puddles. However, some may be found in less typical aquatic habitats, such as water films among fallen leaves in a forest or in capillary soil water of a grassy meadow.