The Aquatics team at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) maintain multiple planaria species, including Schmidtea mediterranea , Schmidtea polychroa , Dugesia japonica , Dugesia sanchezi , Dugesia dorotocephala , Phagocata gracillis , Phagocata velata , Girardia tigrina , and Girardia guanajuatiensis . The most widely used species at SIMR is Schmidtea mediterranea.
Traditionally, the husbandry and care for planarians in a laboratory setting has been provided
using a static culture methodology which has the capacity to consume a considerable
amount of resources including space, supplies, time, and manual labor. This is particularly true
for large planarian colonies. Here we present alternative culture methodologies to improve efficiency, maximize space usage, and reduce labor. Using recirculating and flow-through aquaculture systems, feeding can be intensified, and good water quality can be maintained for significantly longer periods of time. Therefore, these systems reduce the constraints commonly encountered when managing static cultures. We will review multiple designs of recirculating and flow-through systems that have been tailored to optimize growth and reproduction of both the asexual and sexual Schmidtea mediterranea.