Leeches of the World

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817
Species

Checklist / Glossiphoniidae / Aotearoabdella / Aotearoabdella maorica

Aotearoabdella maorica

Benham, 1907 · Glossiphoniidae

Aotearoabdella maorica, a leech of the family Glossiphoniidae
Photo: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9975265

External morphology

one pair of eyespots on III; body with 69-70 annuli, mid-body somites triannulate; mouth pore is subterminal; gonopores separated by two annuli: male gonopore on furrow XI a3 /XII a1 and female gonopore on furrow XII a2 / XII a3; posterior sucker is small, circular, ventrally directed

Internal morphology

one pair ofcompact salivary glands; small esophageal glands present; seven pairs of branched crop caeca; the firstpair of crop caeca are anteriorly directed and are approximately 1.5-2 times longer than those of the 2nd– 6th pairs; six pairs of testisacs;

Habitat & range

Habitat
Freshwater
Region
New Zealand

Biology

On pacific black duck

Junior synonyms

Placobdella maorica, Placobdelloides maorica

Original description

Benham, William Blaxland. (1907). Two new species of leech in New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 39: 180-192, pl 188 & 188a.

biodiversitylibrary.org

Sources used for this page

Picture: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9975265