Commensal turbellarians from Bermuda holothurians

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Abstract
An investigation of some of the echinoderm fauna of the Bermuda Islands for endocommensal rhabdocoel turbellarians was conducted during June 1973 and produced new information concerning the biology of these worms. In addition to the identification of new host records for Anoplodiera voluta and Wahlia macrostylifera, a possible new species in the genus Anoplodiera is partially described, and the hitherto unreported juvenile forms of all three of these are described. During the study, nematocysts were discovered in the gut and body walls of Wahlia macrostylifera, residing in the holothurian Stichopus badionotus, representing the first account of these structures in commensal turbellarians. This finding is discussed with respect to its possible significance in an elucidation of the life cycle of these animals.

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