Occurrence of Temnocephalidae flatworms in Australia

Temnocephalids are a diverse family of rhabdocoel flatworms associated
as ectosymbionts of freshwater invertebrates, including crustaceans.
Eastern Australia has been identified as a hotspot of diversity
for temnocephalan species, many of which are closely associated
with parastacid crayfish, and range from Cape York, far northern
Queensland to southern Tasmania. Many of Australia’s freshwater
crayfish species are currently listed as threatened by the IUCN Red
List, and the close relationship that temnocephalans share with these
crayfish also place them at risk as these species edge towards extinction.
There are still many areas of Australia that have not been
studied for the presence of either crayfish or their ectosymbionts,
so surveying of species is important to gain information to further
classify the threat that these species face. This article aims to determine
the current reported diversity and distribution of Australian
Temnocephalidae, the evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships
between the Australian genera, and the relationship between
Australian Temnocephalidae taxa and their hosts.