FLATWORMS
"Flukes and tapeworms are parasites of
humans and other vertebrate organisms, and as such of course,
may cause disease. The large tapeworm before you actually is
a model of a specimen from a human gut. On the other hand the
free-living planarians which live in the oceans are really rather
cute, and scientists have found that they actually possess a
certain degree of intelligence."
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| DR. NILES ELDREDGE, CURATOR, DEPARTMENT
OF INVERTEBRATES |
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KNOWN SPECIES
20,000
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SIZE RANGE
Less than 1 millimeter to 3 meters
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WHERE THEY LIVE
In moist soils, fresh waters, and oceans;
As parasites in humans and other animals.
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ECOLOGICAL ROLES AND HUMAN USES
Predators, scavengers, parasites • Used
by humans as research organisms in studies of regeneration
and intelligence
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