Hoffmaster's Cave Flatworm
Sphalloplana hoffmasteri (Hyman, 1954)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Platyhelminthes |
| Class | Turbellaria |
| Order | Tricladida |
| Family | Kenkiidae |
| Genus | Sphalloplana |
| Species | Sphalloplana hoffmasteri (Hyman, 1954) |
Synonyms
- Kenkia hoffmasteri (Hyman, 1954) (prior combination, CoL)
- Sphalloplana hoffmasteri (Hyman, 1954) (subjective synonym, CoL)
- Macrocotyla hoffmasteri Hyman, 1954 (prior combination, CoL)
- Speophila hoffmasteri Hyman, 1954 (prior combination, CoL)
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygobiont
- Realm
- Aquatic
- Troglomorphy
- Troglomorphic
- Maximum length
- 15 mm
Distribution
Type locality
Blowhole Cave, Pendleton Co. WV
Range
Known from six counties across two states in the Appalachians karst region.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Maryland, West Virginia
Counties
- West Virginia
- Greenbrier, Pendelton, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker
Karst regions
Appalachians
Specimens
Type material
- Holotype
- USNM 24616 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Paratype
- USNM 24617 · National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Collections holding material
| Institution | Lots |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution | 12 |
12 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 12 specimen records (CSV) Institution, catalog number, type status and preparation. No coordinates.
Conservation and management
NatureServe
G3G4 Vulnerable to Apparently Secure
Global rank last reviewed 21 August 2002.
Subnational ranks
- Maryland
- S1 Critically Imperiled
- West Virginia
- S2 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
- Carpenter, J.H. 1970a. Systematics and ecology of cave planarians of the United States. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. 213 pp.
- 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
- Nicholas, G. 1960. Checklist of macroscopic troglobitic organisms of the United States. The American Midland Naturalist 64: 123–160. doi:10.2307/2422897
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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