Issoca is a genus of land planarians found in Brazil.

Issoca
Issoca rezendei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Order: Tricladida
Family: Geoplanidae
Subfamily: Geoplaninae
Genus: Issoca
Froehlich, 1955
Type species
Geoplana rezendei
Schirch, 1929

Description

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Species of the genus Issoca are characterized by the presence of a spoon-shaped head having a cephalic retractor muscle, which allows those animals to pull their anterior end upwards and backwards. Associated to the muscle are cephalic glands, forming a so-called cephalic musculo-glandular organ in a way similar to the one found in the genera Choeradoplana and Luteostriata. The copulatory apparatus usually lacks a permanent penis papilla, i. e., the penis is formed during copulation by folds in the male cavity which are pushed outwards.[1][2]

Etymology

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The name Issoca comes from Tupi içoca (worm, maggot).

Species

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There are five described species in the genus Issoca:

References

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  1. ^ Froehlich, C. G. (1955). Sobre Morfologia e Taxonomia das Geoplanidae. Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras da Universidade de São Paulo, Série Zoologia. 19: 195-279.
  2. ^ Carbayo, F. (2010). A new genus for seven Brazilian land planarian species, split off from Notogynaphalia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida). Belgian Journal of Zoology. 140: 91-101.