Here we report that in addition to producing an ommochrome body pigment, the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea generates porphyrins in its subepithelial pigment cells under physiological conditions, and that this leads to pigment cell loss when animals are exposed to intense visible light. (elifesciences.org)
Stubenhaus et al. found that S. mediterranea makes porphyrins in the pigment cells of its skin using the same genes that make porphyrins in humans. (elifesciences.org)
C. Michael Hogan changed the thumbnail image of «Persephona mediterranea (Herbst)(USNM 174249) dorsal view». (eol.org)