Pontobdella is a species of marine leeches with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are covered with tubercles and their primary hosts are rays, sharks, skates, and sawfish.
| Pontobdella | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Class: | Clitellata |
| Subclass: | Hirudinea |
| Order: | Rhynchobdellida |
| Family: | Piscicolidae |
| Genus: | Pontobdella Leach, 1815 |
| Type species | |
| Hirudo muricata | |
Distribution
editPontobdella species are found on the coasts of Africa, Eurasia, the Americas, New Zealand, and even Antarctica.[1]
Characteristics
editA prominent feature of Pontobdella leeches are the "wart-like" tubercles which cover their bodies all over. Pontobdella's hosts are generally elasmobranchs – rays, sharks, skates, and sawfish. Each segment of the leech's body (and all leeches have 32) has three or four annuli.[2][3]: 236 They are large leeches; one species, Pontobdella novaezealandiae, can grow as long as 20 centimetres.[3]: 236 [4]
Classification
editThe genus was described by William Elford Leach. Pontobdella is placed in the family Piscicolidae,[1] and is confirmed to form a monophyletic grouping.[5]: 193
Species
editThe World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:[6]
- Pontobdella aculeata Harding, 1924
- Pontobdella afra Baird, 1869
- Pontobdella biannulata Moore, 1957
- Pontobdella californiana Burreson & Passarelli, 2015
- Pontobdella dispar Cordero, 1938
- Pontobdella leucothela Schmarda, 1861
- Pontobdella macrothela Schmarda, 1861
- Pontobdella moorei Oka, 1910
- Pontobdella muricata (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Pontobdella novaezealandiae Burreson & Williams, 2008
- Pontobdella oligothela Schmarda, 1861
- Pontobdella prionodiscus Schmarda, 1861
- Pontobdella variegata Baird, 1869
- Pontobdella vosmaeri (Apáthy, 1888)
References
edit- ^ a b "Pontobdella Leach, 1815". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ Kuo, Dian-Han; Lai, Yi-Te (4 November 2018). "On the origin of leeches by evolution of development". Development, Growth & Differentiation. 61 (1): 43–57. doi:10.1111/dgd.12573. PMID 30393850. S2CID 53218704.
- ^ a b Burreson, Eugene M.; Passarelli, Julianne Kalman (2015). "A New Species of Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from California with a Redescription of the Genus Pontobdella" (PDF). Comparative Parasitology. 82 (2). The Helminthological Society of Washington: 235–239. doi:10.1654/4757.1. ISSN 1525-2647.
- ^ Burreson, Eugene M.; Williams, Julianne I. (2008). "Two new genera and three new species of leeches (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from New Zealand marine fishes". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 42 (4): 379–387. doi:10.1080/00288330809509966. ISSN 0028-8330.
- ^ Ruiz-Escobar, Fernando; Torres-Carrera, Gerardo; Islas-Villanueva, Valentina; Oceguera-Figueroa, Alejandro (2024-05-03). "Molecular Phylogeny of the Leech Genus Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) with Notes on Pontobdella californiana and Pontobdella macrothela". Journal of Parasitology. 110 (3). doi:10.1645/23-122. ISSN 0022-3395.
- ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pontobdella Leach, 1815". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
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