• D. dorotocephala is found in running and standing waters across North America.
• The full grown animals are on average are 30mm long and 3.5mm wide.
• The head is triangular with a rather pointed anterior tip.
• The auricles are elongated and sharply pointed. They extend laterally, but they are usually held elevated while the worm is moving.
• The coloration on the dorsal side is composed of spots of various shades of brown, white, and black.
• The ventral side is less pigmented than the dorsal side.

Reference: R Kenk, Oceanography and Limnology Program (Smithsonian Institution), United States Environmental Protection Agency. Freshwater planarians (Turbellaria) of North America. Washington, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1972.