Nutrition
The tiger flatworm preys strictly on orange tunicates, found in shallow, subtidal waters spanning from South Carolina to Florida and throughout the Caribbean and Bermuda Sea, meaning the tiger flatworm not a parasite and therefore does not have a host. It feeds by inserting its pharynx into the tunicate’s zooid. The flatworm secretes proteases for external digestion and proceeds to suck the digested parts from the tunicate’s test (Taighler, 2008).
The intestine of the tiger flatworm is lined by phagocytic cells which capture the food particles that have been partially digested by enzymes in the gut and complete the digestion process. The nutrients then diffuse through the body of the tiger flatworm.