Acoel Flatworm

Appearance

Waminoa brickneri can infest corals in high numbers, often forming clusters in non-overlapping arrays. It is bronze-colored, owing to the presence of two types of dinoflagellate endosymbionts, and speckled white with small scattered pigment spots. Its body is disc-shaped, highly flattened and circular in profile except for a small notch at the posterior margin where the reproductive organs lie. The male copulatory organ is poorly differentiated, but comprises a seminal vesicle weakly walled by concentrically layered muscles, and a small penis papilla with serous glands at its juncture with the male pore. The female system comprises a separate female pore, ciliated vagina, seminal bursa, 4–8 weakly sclerotized nozzles, and paired ovaries.

Naming

Waminoa brickneri was first scientifically described in 2005 by Ogunlana, Hooge, Tekle, Benayahu, Barneah & Tyler.