Checklist / Erpobdellidae / Erpobdella / Erpobdella haddonensis
Erpobdella haddonensis
· Erpobdellidae
External morphology
Body flattened dorsoventrally, can range from dark brown to dark greenish hues. Body flat and smooth, sensory papillae not prominent. Dorsal with a straight pattern not containing lines or patterns. Preserved leeches yellowish and dirty white. Ventral almost similar in colour to dorsal with lighter appearance. no longitudinal stripes. Sensory papillae too small to be seen. Body contains 104 annuli except for the posterior sucker. Mid-body segments five annulate, widths of annuli are of equal size. Average body length was 47.26±4.09 mm (29.1–63.5 mm), width 4.64 ±0.22 mm (3.64–5.51 mm), anterior sucker diameter 0.89 ±0.08 mm (0.6–1.3 mm), posterior sucker diameter 3.03 ±0.12 mm (2.3–3.5 mm). Anterior sucker ~1/3 size of the posterior sucker. Three pairs of circular eyes, clearly separated from each other. First pair larger than the other two pairs of eyes. First pair of eyes located on second annulus, other two pairs located laterally after an annulus gap. Second and third pairs of eyes not located at the same level, one slightly below the other. Brown curved trace extending from first pair of eyes to second and third. Eyes not apparent in alcohol-preserved specimens. Male gonopore in the middle of tannulus, female gonopore in grooves. Gonopores separated by 4.5 annuli. Male gonopore located in middle of XIb6 annuli (on 33rd annulus). Female gonopore in furrow between XIIb5/b6 annuli (37th/38th annulus).
Habitat & range
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Region
- North America
- Recorded from
- New Jersey
Biology
Supposedly also in Maryland/Delaware
Original description
Saglam, Naim; Saunders, Ralph; Shain, Daniel H. (2025). Species delimitation recovers undescribed Erpobdellidae (Annelida: Hirudinea) from USA and Türkiye. Zootaxa. 5627(3): 455-479.