New record of Phrikoceros inca (Polycladida, Cotylea) from the central coast of Peru, with a review of polyclads known from Peruvian waters

Abstract

Polyclads are marine free-living Platyhelminthes, generally disregarded in marine environmental assessments. Here, Phrikoceros inca (Cotylea, Pseudocerotidae), identified on the basis of external features such as its ear-like, held-erected pseudotentacles, number and position of pseudotentacular eyes, circular-like cerebral eyespot, ruffled-shaped body and coloration patterns, was recorded for Peru for the first time. This finding, which occurred in Pucusana beach, near Lima, on the central coast of Peru, extends the distribution of P. inca ~1700 km north, thus becoming the northernmost record of this polyclad species. Also, the formally described species of polyclads from Peru are reviewed and listed.