Sawyer, Roy T.; Lawler, Adrian R.; Overstreet, Robin M. (1975). Marine leeches of the eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico with a key to the species. Journal of Natural History. 9(6): 633-667.

354790

10.1080/00222937500770531 [view]

Sawyer, Roy T.; Lawler, Adrian R.; Overstreet, Robin M.

1975

9(6): 633-667

Publication

Author Robin Overstreet is misspelled as 'Oversrteet' in the article and at the journal site.

Available for editors   [request]

(1) The marine leeches of the family Piscicolidae from Newfoundland to Texas are reviewed with emphasis on those of the southern United States from Virginia to Mississippi. In addition to an illustrated key and bibliography, a diagnosis, synonymy, references to known distribution, host records, and other biological observations are included for each species. (2) Fourteen valid species were encountered: Ozobranchus branchiatus (Menzies, 1791); 0. margoi (Apathy, 1890); Stibarobdella macrothela (Schmarda, 1861); Branchellion torpedinis Savigny, 1822; B. ravenelii (Girard, 1850); Trachelobdella lubrica (Grube, 1840); T. rugosa Moore, 1898; Calliobdella vivida (Verrill, 1872); Platybdella buccalis Nigrelli, 1946; Oxytonostoma typica Maim, 1863; Myzobdella lugubris Leidy, 1851; Austrobdella rapax (Verrill, 1873); Malmiana nuda Richardson, 1970; and Malmiana philotherma sp. nov. Trachelobdella rugosa, Austrobdella rapax and Platybdella buccalis are reported for the first time since their original descriptions. T. lubrica and 0. typica are reported for the first time from the American side of the Atlantic. (3) These marine leeches can be divided geographically into northern and southern species, and ecologically into brackish water and high salinity species. They often display marked seasonality associated with temperature and reproductive cycles. They occasionally occurred on crustaceans for dispersal and for cocoon deposition. Marine leeches probably serve as vectors for blood parasites of marine fish. Some hosts for haematozoa are presented. (4) One new species, Malmiana philotherma, is described from Alabama, Mississippi, and southern Florida. It is similar to M. nuda and can be characterized by the following: body small and slightly flattened; tegument smooth without tubercles, paplllae, or gills; midbody segments with 3(6) to 6 annuli; oral and caudal suckers large and distinct from body; oral sucker with one pair of eyespots; caudal sucker about equal to maximal body width; postcaeca fused; male system simple with five pairs of testes, convoluted epididymis, and moderate-sized bursa. (5) The species, Oxytonostoma typica, is reported from off Massachusetts to the Bay of Fundy, on the skate Raja ocellata. It is characterized by the following: body cylindrical to subcylindrical; no trachelosome nor pulsatile vesicles; minute white metameric tubercles on most annuli, especially dorsally; caudal sucker strongly terminal, deeply cupped; oral sucker only slightly smaller than caudal sucker; a small teat-like papilla on either side of the female gonopore. (6) Three new combinations are made: Calliobdella vivida, formerly Cystobranchus vividus Verrill, 1872; Myzobdella patzcuarensis, formerly lllinobdella patzcuarensis Caballero, 1940; and Austrobdella rapax, formerly Pontobdella rapax Verrill, 1873. One genus is synonymized: lllinobdella Meyer, 1940, synonym of Myzobdella Leidy, 1851. Six species are synonymized: Calliobdella carolinensis Sawyer and Chamberlain, 1972, synonym of Calliobdella vivida (Verrill, 1872); Ichthyobdella funduli Verrill, 1872, lllinobdella alba Meyer, 1940, I. elongata Meyer, 1940, I. richardsoni Meyer, 1940, and I. moorei Meyer, 1940 are synonyms of Myzobdella lugubris Leidy, 1851. Other combinations of those species and misidentified specimens are also pointed out. (7) Myzobdella lugubris, the most common and most widely distributed species encountered, is reported from brackish and fresh waters. Many original biological and taxonomic observations, including the role of temperature and salinity of the water in the deposition of cocoons, hatching of young, and presence of the adults, are presented.

America, North

Annelida

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