Pericelis cata Marcus and Marcus, 1968 (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida): first record from northeast of Brazil

Abstract

The polyclad Pericelis cata has been reported in two distinct localities along the North Atlantic: Curaçao and the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Recently identified from the Southwestern Atlantic, the species was first described from the Cabo Frio region (23°S) (Rio de Janeiro State), a transitional zone between warm and cold water species located southeastern Brazil. The second location is in the northeastern coast in warm waters, in the entrance of the Todos-os-Santos Bay, a geographic area within the Brazilian Biotic Province, an important center of marine biodiversity of the Tropical Atlantic.