Marine invertebrates are promising sources of novel bioactive secondary metabolites, and organisms like sponges, ascidians and nudibranchs are characterised by possessing potent defensive chemicals. Animals that possess chemical defences often advert...
The Order Polycladida comprises a diverse yet understudied group of free-living flatworms, traditionally divided into Cotylea and Acotylea based on the presence or absence of a ventral adhesive organ known as a cotyl. Species identification, particul...
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent marine neurotoxin that occurs in several Australian phyla, including pufferfish, toadfish, gobies, and the blue-ringed octopus. These animals are partially immune, and TTX is known to bioaccumulate and subject to trophi...
There is a rapid and extensive decline of our marine biodiversity due to human impacts. However, our ability to understand the extent of these effects is hindered by our lack of knowledge of the occurrence and ecology of some species groups. One such...
Coloration patterns in polyclad flatworms of the Pseudocerotidae family are crucial for taxonomic identifications, often serving as key diagnostic character. In this study, we document two pseudocerotid species from the Mexican Pacific exhibiting rem...
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin found in the tissues of many taxonomically diverse organisms. Its origin has been the topic of much debate, with suggestions including endogenous production, acquisition through diet, and symbiotic bacterial...
Non-parasitic flatworms are known to temporarily attach to the substrate by secreting a multicomponent bioadhesive to counteract water movements. However, to date, only species of two higher-level flatworm taxa (Macrostomorpha and Proseriata) have be...
Polyclad flatworms comprise a highly diverse and cosmopolitan group of marine turbellarians. Although some species of the genera Planocera and Stylochoplana are known to be tetrodotoxin (TTX)-bearing, there are few new reports. In this study, planoce...
Several polyclad flatworm species are known to contain high levels of tetrodotoxin (TTX), but currently TTX-bearing flatworms seem to be restricted to specific Planocera lineages belonging to the suborder Acotylea. During our ongoing study of flatwor...