Ecology and distribution of the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea in Tunisia

摘要

The ecology of Schmidtea mediterranea, a freshwater planarian, is here described for the first time from Tunisia. The population consists of sexual diploids with a chromosome number of 2n = 8, and reproduces exclusively sexually through the formation of cocoons. Seasonal variation in the number of animals present as well their state of maturity, were correlated with water temperature.