First record of freshwater planarian Girardia sinensis Chen & Wang, 2015 (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola) in South Africa

The occurrence of the alien freshwater planarian Girardia sinensis Chen & Wang, 2015 is reported for the first time in sub-Saharan Africa.This species is a global invader of freshwater bodies as evidenced by its very recently reported discoveries in Europe, Asia and Australia.We used DNA barcoding and phylogenetic analysis to confirm species identity, as morphological identification alone is not accurate.Unintentional introduction via the aquarium trade through contamination is considered a possibility.Taken together with other reports of recent introductions of invasive freshwater species in South Africa, possibly through aquarium trade, this raises serious concerns about the ineffective control of aquarium trade.