Culver's Cave Flatworm
Sphalloplana culveri Kenk, 1977
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Platyhelminthes |
| Class | Turbellaria |
| Order | Tricladida |
| Family | Kenkiidae |
| Genus | Sphalloplana |
| Species | Sphalloplana culveri Kenk, 1977 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 5.5 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Harper Cave, Tucker Co. WV
Range
Known from one county in West Virginia in the Appalachians karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
West Virginia
Counties
- West Virginia
- Tucker
Karst regions
Appalachians
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- USNM 53435 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 1 |
1 cataloged lot 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 1 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
NatureServe
G1 Critically Imperiled
Global rank last reviewed 12 April 2023.
Subnational ranks
- West Virginia
- S1 Critically Imperiled
Ranks looked up 23 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
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
- Kenk, R. 1977b. Freshwater tricads (Turbellaria) of North America. X. Three new species of Phagocata from the eastern United States. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 89: 645–652. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34554115. details
This account was last revised 28 August 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 23 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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