title: Micro-computed tomography scan and virtual histological slide data for the land planarian Obama otavioi (Platyhelminthes).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether images obtained through X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) can be used in conjunction with traditional methods for morphological studies of soft-bodied land planarians. μCT is non-invasive and provides true-to-scale three-dimensional imagery at high resolution. We compared μCT-based images of a recently described land planarian species of Obama otavioi (Platyhelminthes) with those obtained from light microphotography of histological sections, most of which were also digitized at high magnification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The specimens studied were collected in 2012. Subsequent μCT-based images of the stained body of a paratype show nearly all morphological features provided by traditional histology, with the exception of particularly minute structures, smaller than 5 μm, such as the sensory pits and single muscle fibers, which are best visible on traditional histological sections. Because the technique is non-destructive, the scanned specimen is preserved without damage. The raw and derivative μCT data and virtual histological sections are freely available in GigaDB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The μCT datasets of these stained soft-bodied organisms reveal images of external and internal structures that support previous taxonomic studies. This technique can be particularly important for non-destructively revealing internal details of whole museum specimens at a faster rate than histology alone. High-resolution virtual histological slides also allow further searches for new, previously unstudied morphological features. The use of X-ray equipment with higher resolution can enable smaller sensory organ and muscle fiber details to be seen. The image sets, μCT-based images and digitized histological slides can be disseminated without the constraints of specimen loans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Av. Arlindo Bettio, 1000, CEP 03828-000 São Paulo, SP Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carbayo
authors.affiliation: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer Winifred
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lenihan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D010932:Planarians / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Anatomy; Geoplanidae; Histology; MicroCT; Morphology; Slide digitization; Soft-tissue; Taxonomy; Tricladida; μCT