Interstitial Typhloplanoida (Turbellaria) from the littoral of the island of Sylt (North Sea). In the littoral of the island of Sylt, more than 90 species of the Typhloplanoida were found. In the present paper, 42 species of the families Ciliopharyngidae, Typhloplanidae, Solenopharyngidae, Promesostomidae, and Trigonostomidae are treated; 14 species are new to science. For several typhloplanoids described formerly, additional notes are made on morphology, systematics, and phylogeny. Three new moiiotypical generas - Subiilagera, Petaliella, Lonchoplanella - are established. The genus Subulagera is placed to the subfamily Brinkmanniellinae, provisionally, although well developped germovitellariums are absent. Petaliella shows the most primitive organization within all the representatives of the Trigonostominae known up to now, in any case. Besides symplesiomorphous characters in common with several species of the Promesostomidae, there are synapomorphous features together with the genus Beklemischeviella Luther of the Trigonostominae. Lonchoplanella is closely related to Mariplanella Ax & Heller. Both genera of the subfamily MariplanelHnae are showing two remarkable different sorts of adenal rhabdites. With the numerous new findings along the European coast of the Atlantic from the south of France to Norway, the ecological demands (e.g. a strong or low exposure of the habitat, confinement to a certain substratum, dependency from water content and salinity, food-preferences) are illustrated for nearly all the species. Besides, remarks are given on the reproduction biology of several typhloplanoids. |
