Marionfyfea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marionfyfea
Marionfyfea adventor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Platyhelminthes
Class:	Rhabditophora
Order:	Tricladida
Suborder:	Continenticola
Family:	Geoplanidae
Subfamily:	Rhynchodeminae
Tribe:	Anzoplanini
Genus:	Marionfyfea Winsor, 2011
Type species
Artioposthia carnleyi Fyfe, 1953

Imagine a tiny, flat worm that lives on land! Marionfyfea is a group, or genus, of these interesting creatures called land planarians. They mostly live on the cold Antarctic Islands near New Zealand. But guess what? One type has even been found in Europe, likely carried there by accident!

What is Marionfyfea?

These special land planarians belong to a larger group called Anzoplanini. They have a small, long body. Their mouth is located just behind the middle of their body. Another important opening, called the gonopore, is closer to the mouth than to their tail end.

Inside a Marionfyfea

These tiny creatures have strong muscles inside their bodies. They have thick bundles of muscles along their back. There are also weaker muscles that form a ring around their gut. Smaller muscle bundles are found on their underside, helping them move and stay flat.

How Marionfyfea Got Its Name

The name Marionfyfea was chosen to honor a very important scientist. Her name was Marion Fyfe (1894–1986). She did amazing work studying land planarians in New Zealand.

A Name Change

This genus was first named Fyfea in 2006 by Leigh Winsor. But it turned out that name was already being used for another type of animal! So, in 2011, the name was officially changed to Marionfyfea to avoid confusion.

Types of Marionfyfea Species

The genus Marionfyfea includes different kinds, or species, of these land planarians. Here are the ones we know about so far:

• Marionfyfea carnleyi (first described by Fyfe in 1953, then moved to this genus by Winsor in 2011)
• Marionfyfea adventor (described by Jones & Sluys in 2016)