Alboglossiphonia heteroclita

External morphology

Small, flat, and ovate leeches are generally yellowish translucent in live specimens; the head region is bulbous consisting of three pair of eyes of which the first pair of eyes lie close to each other and are the smallest ones as compared to the other two pairs second and third pair of eyes are widely separated but the components lie near together giving approximately a triangular shape three pair of eyes generally lie in rings five, seven and eight respectively; one median line of dark black spots on every third annulus and numerous small spots on the dorsal surface dorsal and ventral surface of the body is smooth and without papillae

Habitat & range

Habitat

Freshwater

Region

North America, Europe

Recorded from

Canada, USA, Russia

Junior synonyms

Clepsine polonica Lindenfeld & Pietruszynski, 1890, Glossiphonia heteroclita (Linnaeus, 1761), Glossosiphonia heteroclita (Linnaeus, 1761), Hirudo heteroclita Linnaeus, 1761

Original description

Linnaeus, C. (1761). Fauna Suecica sistens Animalia Sueciae Regni: Distributa per Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Differentiis Specierum, Synonymis Auctorum, Nominibus Incolarum, Locis Natalium, [The Swedish Fauna containing the Animals of the Kingdom of Sweden: Distributed by Classes, Orders, Genera, Species, with Differences of Species, Synonyms of Authors, Names of Inhabitants, Places of Birth,]Descriptionibus insectorum. Editio altera, auctior. Stockholmiae, Stockhom, Sweden. 48:1-578. [Copepoda Monoculus, :497-499].

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