Vlaamse overheid; Beleidsdomein Economie, Wetenschap en Innovatie; Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO), meer
Acoela en Nemertodermatida are two taxa of bilateral symmetrical animals, characterised by an acoelomate body, een fully ciliated epidermis gecilieerde epidermis en singular opening to the intestine.Both taxa possess a statocyst, containing one statolith in the Acoela en two or more in the Nemertodermatida. Taxonomically both groups are traditinally placed within
the Platyhelminthes, but recent molecular research places them as two distinct taxa, at the basis of the Bilateria. This research deals with the specification mechanisms of the germinal line within the Acoela, from a morfological point of view.
So far no published data exist on the occurrence of Acoela and Nemertodermatida species in the Belgian coastal waters. Part of the samples specimens will be used for morfological investigations while another part will be used to start laboratory cultures.
