USE OF MOLECULAR-DATA TO DISCRIMINATE PSEUDOCEROTID TURBELLARIANS

Nucleotide sequence data from the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) in the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene cluster were used to determine the u tility of molecular data to discriminate species and genera of pseudoc erotid turbellarians. We sequenced 388, 379 and 415 bp from tk le ITS1 of Pseudoceros jebborum, Pseudoceros paralaticlavus and Pseudobiceros gratus respectively, to give an aligned sequence for this region of 4 21 positions. The nucleotide sequence of the ITS1 of Pseudoceros jebbo rum differed from that of Pseudoceros paralaticlavus by 6% (24/421 pos itions) and from that of Pseudobiceros gratus by 36% (152/421 position s). These results indicate that sequence data from the ITS1 will be a useful taxonomic tool to discriminate pseudocerotid flatworms.