Powell Valley Cave Flatworm
Sphalloplana consimilis Kenk, 1977
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Platyhelminthes |
| Class | Turbellaria |
| Order | Tricladida |
| Family | Kenkiidae |
| Genus | Sphalloplana |
| Species | Sphalloplana consimilis Kenk, 1977 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 14 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Buis Saltpeter Cave, Claiborne Co. TN
Range
Known from two counties across two states in the Appalachians karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Tennessee, Virginia
Counties
- Tennessee
- Claiborne
- Virginia
- Lee
Karst regions
Appalachians
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- USNM 53407 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Paratype ×8
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 13 |
13 cataloged lots in 1 collection. Compiled from GBIF and not an exhaustive census: many collections are not yet digitised, and holdings are added continually. Search GBIF for specimen records.
Download all 13 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
NatureServe
G2G3 Imperiled to Vulnerable
Global rank last reviewed 2002.
Subnational ranks
- Tennessee
- S1 Critically Imperiled
- Virginia
- S1 Critically Imperiled
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Other resources
References
- Kenk, R. 1977a. Freshwater tricads (Turbellaria) of North America, IX: The genus Sphalloplana. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 246: 1–38. https://repository.si.edu/bitstreams/d38e70a7-fb46–474c-9ea0-f202898980ba/download. details
- Niemiller, M.L. & Zigler, K.S. 2013. Patterns of cave biodiversity and endemism in the Appalachians and Interior Plateau of Tennessee, USA. PLOS One 8: e64177. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064177
This account was last revised 28 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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