Checklist / Erpobdellidae / Erpobdella / Erpobdella octoculata
Erpobdella octoculata
· Erpobdellidae
External morphology
Larger species, up to 50 mm. Various levels of dorsal pigmentation. Genital pores separated by 2.5 to 3 annuli. Dorsally, greenish yellow or reddish brown. A reticulate pattern with visible yellow spots on each annulus, as a typical dorsal pattern. Dorsal pattern sometimes with a random distribution of dark patches and dots or absent in some cases. Ventrally, uni-colored yellowish or reddish brown.
Habitat & range
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Region
- Europe
Biology
Most common leech in Central and Westerm Europe, common also in highly eutrophic waters
Original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp.
Sources used for this page
Picture: Hirudinida pijavice - Determinace vodních bezobratlých; Description: ISBN 9783827409270, sumie-dh