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The taxon Koinocystididae is the third most species-rich family within Eukalyptorhynchia. However, its diversity and phylogeny have been largely neglected in former studies. We introduce three new genera and twelve new species of Koinocystididae including Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen. n. sp. n., Galapagetula cubensis sp. n., eight species of Reinhardorhynchus gen. n. and two species of Itaipusa. This raises the total number of species within Koinocystididae from 51 to 63. We also report on new distribution records for six known species: I. divae (Cuba, Panama and New Caledonia), I. karlingi (Sardinia and Lanzarote), Reinhardorhynchus riegeri comb. n. (Cuba), R. ruffinjonesi comb. n. (Cuba and Panama), Utelga heinckei (Cuba and Lanzarote), and U. pseudoheinckei (Sardinia). Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen. n. sp. n. is characterised by a male duct running eccentrically through the copulatory bulb, lack of any hard structures in the male system, lack of a bursa, and the fact that the epithelia of the female, the male, and part of the common atrium are covered by a brush border. Galapagetula cubensis sp. n. has a caudal gonopore, a divisa-type copulatory bulb with an unarmed penis papilla, and a female duct without a sphincter. The new species of Itaipusa and Reinhardorhynchus gen. n. differ from their congeners in the detailed structure of the copulatory bulb and especially the hard structures associated with it. In a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on all available 18S and 28S rDNA sequences of koinocystidids, we found support for the monophyly of the family and the genus Utelga Marcus, 1949. The genus Itaipusa is not monophyletic in that I. sinensis forms a clade with Rhinolasius dillonicus, while other species of Itaipusa that have a copulatory bulb armed with hooks form a clade together with Sekerana stolzi. As the type species of Itaipusa (I. divae) is in neither of these clades, we erected a new genus for I. sinensis (Koinogladius gen. n.) and one for species of Itaipusa having a hook-bearing copulatory bulb (Reinhardorhynchus gen. n.), respectively. Whether the remaining species of Itaipusa form a monophylum remains uncertain. The taxon Koinocystididae is the third most species-rich family within Eukalyptorhynchia. However, its diversity and phylogeny have been largely neglected in former studies. We introduce three new genera and twelve new species of Koinocystididae including Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen. n. sp. n., Galapagetula cubensis sp. n., eight species of Reinhardorhynchus gen. n. and two species of Itaipusa. This raises the total number of species within Koinocystididae from 51 to 63. We also report on new distribution records for six known species: I. divae (Cuba, Panama and New Caledonia), I. karlingi (Sardinia and Lanzarote), Reinhardorhynchus riegeri comb. n. (Cuba), R. ruffinjonesi comb. n. (Cuba and Panama), Utelga heinckei (Cuba and Lanzarote), and U. pseudoheinckei (Sardinia). Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen. n. sp. n. is characterised by a male duct running eccentrically through the copulatory bulb, lack of any hard structures in the male system, lack of a bursa, and the fact that the epithelia of the female, the male, and part of the common atrium are covered by a brush border. Galapagetula cubensis sp. n. has a caudal gonopore, a divisa-type copulatory bulb with an unarmed penis papilla, and a female duct without a sphincter. The new species of Itaipusa and Reinhardorhynchus gen. n. differ from their congeners in the detailed structure of the copulatory bulb and especially the hard structures associated with it. In a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on all available 18S and 28S rDNA sequences of koinocystidids, we found support for the monophyly of the family and the genus Utelga Marcus, 1949. The genus Itaipusa is not monophyletic in that I. sinensis forms a clade with Rhinolasius dillonicus, while other species of Itaipusa that have a copulatory bulb armed with hooks form a clade together with Sekerana stolzi. As the type species of Itaipusa (I. divae) is in neither of these clades, we erected a new genus for I. sinensis (Koinogladius gen. n.) and one for species of Itaipusa having a hook bearing copulatory bulb (Reinhardorhynchus gen. n.), respectively. Whether the remaining species of Itaipusa form a monophylum remains uncertain.

During several sampling campaigns in the regions of Galicia and Andalusia in Spain and the Algarve region in Portugal, specimens of twelve species of schizorhynch rhabdocoels were collected. Four of these are new to science: three species of Proschizorhynchus (P. algarvensis sp. nov., P. arnautsae sp. nov. and P. troglodytus sp. nov.) and one species of Schizochilus (S. coninxae sp. nov.). The new species of Proschizorhynchus can be distinguished from their congeners by the curvature and length of their stylet, as well as the cirrus sheath and the organisation of the genital system. Schizochilus coninxae sp. nov. has a distinct two-part stylet that is unique within the genus. In addition to these new species, new data are reported for the diascorhynchid Diascorhynchus caligatus and the schizorhynchids Carcharodorhynchus multidentatus, C. tenuis, C. flavidus, Proschizorhynchus pectinatus and P. reniformis. Finally, new records for C. flavidus from the Hawaiian archipelago are presented. We thank the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and the Estación Biológica de Doñana (ICTS-RBD, Spain) for the financial and logistical support of the fieldwork in Doñana National Park. Collecting trips to the Algarve were financed by the EU FP7 ASSEMBLE grant agreement no. 227799. We would like to thank the Centro de Ciências do Mar (Centre of Marine Sciences) of the University of the Algarve, Portugal, for providing excellent working and sampling facilities, in particular Dr Ana Amaral for the kind and efficient logistic support and Dr Jorge Gonçalves for collecting the samples at the islands near Sagres. Special thanks also go to the captain of the Zodiac for his help with sampling in the Ria Formosa. The research of S.G. was supported by a PhD-grant of BOF-UHasselt. M.M. is funded by a PhD fellowship from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen). We would like to thank Ria Vanderspikken and Natascha Steffanie for their valuable assistance in the lab. Dr Bart Tessens and Dr Niels Van Steenkiste are thanked for their involvement in collecting specimens from the Algarve, Portugal and Doñana National Park, Spain. Dave Bosmans is cordially thanked for his help with processing the images included in this work

An overview is given of all representatives of the genus Typhlopolycystis Karling, 1956: the five known species (T. coeca Karling, 1956; T. mediterranea Brunet, 1965; T. coomansi Schockaert and Karling, 1975; T. schockaerti Karling, 1978 and T. rubra Noldt and Reise, 1985) and eleven new species: T. microphthalma n. sp. from S. France, T. fonsecai n. sp. and T. maikoni n. sp. from Brazil, T. norenburgi n. sp. and T. leasiae n.sp from the Pacific coast of Panama, T. pluvialiae n. sp. from Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain), T. riegeri n. sp. from Tanzania, T. tahitienis n. sp. from French Polynesia, T. australiensis n. sp. from South Australia, T. sarda n. sp. from Sardinia (Italy), the S. of France and from Lanzarote, and T. errata n. sp. from Sardinia (Italy). We consider T. limicola Schilke, 1970 as a species inquirenda of which no type material exists. Finally, some comments are given on the distribution of the genus of which representatives have been found in almost all places that have been sampled world wide.

Four new species of Paraustrorhynchus (Rhabdocoela: Kalyptorhynchia: Polycystididae) are described: two from Southern China (P. shenda n. sp., P. sinensis n. sp.), one from New Caledonia (P. isoldeae n. sp.), and one from India (P. smeetsae n. sp.). All four species show a typical dark blue dorsal pigmentation pattern, which is unique to the genus. This pigment forms a broad longitudinal line in P. shenda n. sp. and P. sinensis n. sp., shows an additional transverse band at the level of the pharynx in P. smeetsae n. sp. and forms a Y-shaped pattern in P. isoldeae n. sp. The four species can also be distinguished from each other and their congeners by the detailed morphology of the hard parts of the male system, which in all cases consists of an L-shaped (P. shenda n. sp., P. isoldeae n. sp) or slightly-curved (P. smeetsae n. sp., P. sinensis n. sp.) prostate stylet type II and a prostate stylet type III, which consists of three plates: a basal plate from which two longer plates depart, each with a distal serrated rim. A phylogenetic analysis based on 18S and 28S-rDNA data indicates that Paraustrorhynchus is a monophyletic taxon within Polycystidinae, with Alcha evelinae as the sister group.

Three new species of Polycystididae are described: Brachyrhynchus triplostylis n. gen. n. sp., B. acutus n. sp. and B. oosterlyncki n. sp. They are the first species of Polycystididae to be described with a second, single-walled accessory stylet connected to a small glandular vesicle in the male system. The three species can be distinguished from each other by the detailed morphology and the relative lengths of the three stylets in the male system. The relationships of these species with other representatives of Polycystididae are discussed.

Trigonostomum vanmecheleni nov. sp. (Rhabdocoela: Dalytyphloplanida) was collected from algae taken from the channels in Venice (Italy). It can easily be distinguished from its congeners by the detailed morphology of the stylet and of the bursal appendage, which is a coiled tube. Only T. lilliei has a bursal appendage with a comparable morphology. All available material of that species was also studied, leading to the conclusion that T. prytherchi is not a synonym of T. lilliei, as was proposed in earlier literature. T. prytherchi can be distinguished by the fact that the stylet proper is proximally bent over 180°, whereas in the other two species it is bent over 90°, and by the fact that the mantle of the stylet consists of one plate only, where it comprises two plates in the other two species. T. vanmecheleni nov. sp. can be distinguished from T. lilliei by the fact that the two plates of the mantle are different in shape and by the fact that the bursal appendage splits distally into six finer ...

Twelve new species of Polycystididae Graff, 1905 are described from the Australian east coast. Nine of them could not be placed in any of the existing genera, and therefore six new genera are erected. Alchoides n. gen. differs from all other polycystidid genera by the presence of a bundle of glands that opens into the distal part of the male atrium (accessory vesicle type V). Two species are included in the genus, A. alchoides n. sp. and A. dittmannae n. sp., which differ from each other in the shape of the stylet. Ametochus gehrkei n. gen n. sp. can be distinguished from other polycystidids by the presence of a prostate vesicle type III associated with a prostate stylet type III, combined with the presence of an accessory stylet type III, while a prostate stylet type II is lacking. Typical for Arrawarria inexpectata n. gen n. sp. is the combined presence of an armed cirrus with a prostate vesicle type II connected to a prostate stylet type II. Two species are assigned to the new genus Duplexostylus n. gen.: D. rowei n. sp. and D. winsori n. sp. These two species have two unique features: a prostate vesicle type IV directly connected to a prostate stylet type III and an asymmetrical septum that surrounds the proximal part of the male atrium. They can be distinguished from each other by differences in the detailed construction of their stylets. Two new species are placed in the new genus Stradorhynchus n. gen.: S. caecus n. sp. and S. terminalis n. sp. They have unpaired gonads and a prostate vesicle type IV connected to a prostate stylet type IV, which combination of characters makes them unique within the Polycystididae. The two species differ from each other in the shape and size of the stylet. Triaustrorhynchus armatus n. gen., n. sp. is the first species of the Polycystididae to have three types of stylet in the male atrium: a prostate stylet type II, a prostate stylet type III and an accessory stylet type III. Three new species could be placed in existing genera: Cincturorhynchus monaculeus n. sp., Paraustrorhynchus caligatus n. sp. and Polycystis australis n. sp. All three differ from their congeners in the form and dimensions of their stylets. All newly described species are discussed, giving their similarities and differences with resembling species. Austrorhynchus hawaiiensis Karling, 1977 is reported for the first time in Australia, and the Australian population is compared with populations from other regions. The presence of Gyratrix hermaphroditus Ehrenberg, 1831, one new species of Paulodora Marcus, 1948 and a new genus of Typhlopolycystidinae Evdonin, 1977 is mentioned.

Thirteen species of Typhloplanoida from the Australian east coast and New Caledonia are reported, six of them new to science. Three of these new species are representatives of the Promesostomidae: Coronhelmis cuypersi new species, Coronhelmis novaecaledoniae new species, and Kymocarens kanakorum new species. Austradenopharynx reynaertsi new genus and species is a member of the Solenopharyngidae. Two species are placed within the Typhloplanidae: Kaitalugia lydieae new genus and species and K. falcata new species. Furthermore, new localities are given for Messoplana minuta, known from the Weddell Sea, Brinkmanniella palmata, occurring on the North American Pacific coast, the Swedish west coast and in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, Ceratopera axi, a cosmopolitan species, and Vauclusia conica and Pilamonila bimascula, two Australian species. For the sake of completeness, two more species of which insufficient material is available, are mentioned. A complete species list of all marine Typhloplanoid...

A morphological and taxonomic account of the genus Trigonostomum is provided. All known species are discussed and briefly re-described where necessary. Seven new species are described: T. franki from Curacao, Florida (USA), the East African Coast and New Caledonia, T. nataschae from the French sub-Antarctic island Kerguelen, T. spinigerum from New Caledonia and T. watsoni from the Australian East Coast and New Caledonia. T. tori and T. galapagoensis, both formerly enclosed in T. setigerum, are considered new species, while T. australis also belongs to the same species group. Proxenetes denhartogi is transferred to Trigonostomum. Based on a comparison of old and new material, T. marki is synonymized with T. penicillatum, while T. prytherchi and T. divae are regarded as junior synonyms of T. lilliei; T. intermedium and T. quadrifolium are considered synonyms of T. coronatum. Three species are considered species inquirendae: T. brunchorsti, T. piriforme and Marinellia lingulifera. Similarities and differences of the 17 valid species are discussed and summarized in an identification key. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 141, 271‐296.

Three new species belonging to two new genera of Typhlopolycystidinae Evdonin 1977 from the Galapagos are described: Myobulla myobulla n. gen. n. sp., M. dunata n. sp. and Sabulirhynchus axi n. gen. n. sp. The general anatomy closely resembles that of Limipolycystis Schilke 1970. However, Myobulla is characterised by the presence of a muscular knob with four hard teeth on the bursal stalk, while Sabulirhynchus has a pear-shaped seminal receptacle and lacks an accessory glandular organ. The Myobulla species differ from each other in the shape and dimensions of the stylet; S. axi has a plate-like stylet. An undescribed species of Limipolycystis is mentioned but is not described because we lack good material. The subfamily Typhlopolycystidinae is briefly discussed; diagnoses for the new taxa and an emended diagnosis for the subfamily are given. Limipolycystis swedmarki Karling 1978 is transferred to the genus Myobulla: as M. swedmar- ki (Karling 1978) n. comb. The name Lagenopolycystis n. nom. is proposed to...

The taxonomy of the genus Polycystis Kolliker, 1845 sensu Schockaert & Karling, 1975 is discussed. Character analysis reveals the monophyletic state of the three species groups these authors defined within it. As no synapomorphies for the three groups can be found, the genus is split in three genera: Polycystis Kolliker, 1845, Macrorhynchus Graff, 1882 and Paulodora Marcus, 1948. The systematic position of Macrorhynchus yaganus (Marcus, 1954) Evdonin, 1977 is also discussed, resulting in the erection of the new genus Marcusia gen. n.

A comprehensive overview is given of the representatives of the taxon Gallorhynchus Schockaert & Brunet, 1971: the two known species G. simplex and G. mediterraneus of Schockaert & Brunet, 1971, Syltorhynchus schockaerti Noldt, 1989, which is transferred to the taxon Gallorhynchus, and four new species, G. elegans n. sp., G. faroensis n. sp., G. genista n. sp. and G. bidaformis n. sp.. G. schockaerti occurs in the North Sea; all other species were found in the western Mediterranean and in south Portugal. Collecting trips of ERS and BST to the Algarve were possible thanks to the EU FP7 ASSEMBLE grant agreement no. 227799. We also thank the Centro de Ciencias do Mar (Centre of Marine Sciences) of the University of the Algarve, Portugal, for providing excellent working and sampling facilities, in particular Dr. Ana Amaral for the kind and efficient logistic support and Dr. Jorge Goncalves for collecting the samples at the islands near Sagres. Special thanks also go to the skipper of the Zodiac for his help with sampling in the Ria Formosa. We thank Dr. Paul Martens for the material from Calvi and from Livorno. We thank Dr. Nikki Watson for correcting the language of the manuscript and Mrs. Natascha Steffanie for preparing the sectioned specimen.

An overview of the marine rhabdocoel fauna of Uruguay is given. Eight species, new to science, are described and discussed. Two of these, Acirrostylus poncedeleoni n.g. n.sp. and Polliculus cochlearis n.g. n.sp. could not be placed in any existing genera. A. poncedeleoni n.g. n.sp. can be recognized from other Cicerinidae Meixner, 1928 by the fact that there is only one ovovitellarium and by the lack of a cirrus in the male atrium. P. cochlearis n.g. n.sp. is characterized by the fact that there is only one testis and vas deferens, a unique situation within the Dalyelliidae Graff, 1905. Apart from these two species, six other new species are described: Cheliplana triductibus n.sp. and C. uruguayensis n.sp. (Karkinorhynchidae Meixner, 1928), Carcharodorhynchus viridis n.sp. (Schizorhynchidae Graff, 1905), Baicalellia forcipifera n.sp. (Provorticidae Beklemischew, 1928) and Vauclusia multistriata n.sp. and Coronhelmis mimosa n.sp. (Promesostomidae Den Hartog, 1964). All these species can be recognized from their congeners by the detailed structure of the genital organs in general, and the copulatory organ in particular. For four known species of Dalytyphloplanida Willems, 2006 new data are given: Ceratopera axi (Riedl, 1954) Den Hartog, 1964 (Trigonostomidae Graff, 1905), Lurus evelinae Marcus, 1950 (Luridae Sterrer & Rieger, 1990), Byrsophlebs caligulachaena (Ehlers & Ehlers, 1981) Karling, 1985 (Byrsophlebidae Graff, 1905) and Oneppus lacus Marcus, 1954 (Placorhynchidae Meixner, 1938). The occurrence of one new species of Polycystididae Graff, 1905 and the possible occurrence of Cheliplana fermata Brunet, 1968 and Proschizorhynchus atopus Marcus, 1950 are also mentioned.

Seven typhloplanoids from the Indian Ocean are discussed; six of them are new to science. We place four of the new species within the Trigonostomidae. Gandalfia bilunata gen. nov. sp. nov. is characterized by a tubiform stylet and two semilunar structures in the afferent duct. Mahurubia clava gen. nov. sp. nov. has a gutter-shaped stylet and a club-shaped mouthpiece on the bursa. Parapharyngiella involucrum gen. nov. sp. nov. is characterized by a stylet in the form of a question mark and a bursal mouthpiece with a club-shaped and a barrel-shaped part. Poseidoplanella halleti gen. nov. sp. nov. is characterized by an unpaired ovary, a funnel-shaped stylet connected with a plate, and a small, tubular bursal mouthpiece. Furthermore, new data are given on Ceratopera axi. The two other new species belong to the Typhloplanidae. Aegira annabellae gen. nov. sp. nov., a marine species, is characterized by a box-shaped stylet and a long, pseudocuticularized ejaculatory duct. Castrada trispina sp., a freshwater species, has a copulatory bursa with three spines. Mahurubia clava gen. nov. sp. nov. and Parapharyngiella involucrum gen. nov. sp. nov. occur at Zanzibar, Tanzania. The other five species have been found on Kerguelen.

Five typhloplanoids from the Australian East Coast are reported, three of them new to science. Two taxa are members of Promesostomidae: Vauclusia conica n.g. n.sp., characterised by a cone-shaped stylet, the presence of a female bursa and a very long, partially-swollen female duct; Brinkmanniella australiensis n.sp. has a funnel-shaped stylet with a smooth distal tip. Pilamonila bimascula n.g. n.sp. is a representative of the Solenopharyngidae, characterised by a stylet within a cirrus. The known species found are Ceratopera axi and Ptychopera scutulifer.

Five new species of the new taxon Brunetorhynchus n. gen. are described: B. deconincki n. sp., B. microstylis n. sp. and B. complicatus n. sp. are from the Mediterranean, B. canariensis n. sp. is from the Canary Island Lanzarote, B. cannoni n. sp. is from the Australian East coast and one species from the Galapagos, formerly described as Limipolycystis spec., is transferred to the new genus as B. dubius n. sp.. As in Limipolycystis , these species have a single stylet, (accessory stylet type II), an accessory secretion vesicle (type II) and a prostate vesicle (type III) in the male atrium, although the latter vesicle is absent in some species. Unlike the species of Limipolycystis, where the seminal receptacle is a sclerotized tubule, the species of the new taxon have a pear-shaped seminal receptacle on the oviduct.

Three new species and two new genera of Typhloplanoida from the Western Indian Ocean are described. Feanora brevicirrus gen. et sp. n. is a member of the Trigonostomidae von Graff, 1905 sensu Den Hartog, 1964. It has a cirrus, paired ovovitellaria and an undifferentiated afferent duct. An excentric bursa opens in the fecundatorium and a large ovoid vesicle enters the afferent duct in its distal part. Gaziella pileola gen. et sp. n. and G. lacertosa sp.n. are two new members of the Promesostomidae Den Hartog, 1964. They have a long cirrus, ovovitellaria and a long muscular female duct with two excentrically placed sperm-receiving vesicles. Their most striking feature is the proboscis-like structure. Feanora and Gaziella are provisionally considered as genera incertae sedis within the resp. families.

Five new species of Limipolycystis Schilke, 1970 are described and their morphology is compared to that of the only spe-cies known, L. curvitubo Schilke, 1970. L. sicilicula n. sp., L. falx n. sp., L friedae n. sp., L. libra n. sp. and L. wallbergi n. sp. all largely resemble L. curvitubo as to the internal anatomy. They all have a caudally-situated testis and, at least inthose species for which good material is available, a seminal receptacle could be seen. This seminal receptacle is tubiform,connecting the bursa with the most proximal part of the oviduct, which is filled with sperm. All these species are mainlydistinguishable from each other by details in the shape of the stylet. Diagnoses are provided for all new species and the diagnosis of the genus is emended to reflect the new finds.

Three new species of Calviriidae are described, belonging to two new genera: Diskeria gigantea n.g. n.sp., D. tasmanica n.sp. and Paracalviria islandica n.g. n.sp. The species of Diskeria have a copulatory organ with two rings of needles of which the internal ring forms a structure resembling a stylet. The accessory organ has a large glandular reservoir connected by a muscular duct to a “true” stylet surrounded by needles. The two species can be discerned by the number and size of the needles in the copulatory organ and in the accessory organ. In the female system there is a large terminal bursa. Paracalviria islandica has a copulatory organ with one circle of ±60 needles and an unarmed, sucker-like accessory organ in the male atrium. The female system is very simple without a bursa. Contrary to the other members of the Calviriidae, P. islandica has an epidermis with insunk nuclei, no septum in front of the pharynx and no sphincter around the gut above the pharynx. The relationships of and within the Calviriidae are discussed and compared with the recent results based on DNA analyses. Morphological arguments are given for the monophyly of the taxon Calviriidae. Amended diagnoses for the family and the four genera within the family are provided.

Acrorhynchides styliferus sp.n. from Norway and the British Isles and Polycystis contorta sp.n. and Typhlopolycystis coomansi sp.n. from Norway and the Mediterranean are described. Additional notes are given on the anatomy and distribution of Paracrorhynchus bergensis Karling, Polycystis groenlandica (Levinsen), P. crocea (Fabricius) and Typhlopolycystis mediterranea Brunet. The taxonomy of the species and the corresponding genera is discussed.

Paraustrorhynchus gen.n., P. pacificus sp.n. (California), Antiboreorhynchus novzelae sp.n. (New Zealand) and Gyratrix proaviformis sp.n. (Oregon) are described as new taxa. Additional notes are given on Gyratrix hermaphroditus Ehrbg. (new localities on the N. American Pacific coast), Scanorhynchus forcipatus Karling (new locality in California), Paraustrorhynchus elixus (Marcus) comb.n. and Alcha evelinae Marcus (new localities in California). The taxonomy of the genera and species is discussed. Viewpoints are presented on evolutionary trends and homologous atrial organs in the family Polycystididae.

Sand dwelling Turbellaria from the Delta of the Rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt have been investigated. Thirty-eight samples taken from littoral and sublittoral stations in the Grevelingen, Eastern and Western Scheldt have been analysed.