Checklist / Erpobdellidae / Fadejewobdella / Fadejewobdella quinqueannulata
Fadejewobdella quinqueannulata
· Erpobdellidae
External morphology
Large cylindrical to dorsoventrally flattened leeches up to 135 mm maximum body length. The posterior third of the body with lateral keels. The annuli of the quinqueannulate somites are of equal width. The male gonopore is situated in furrow XII b1/b2, the female in XII b5/b6. The genital pores are separated by three annuli. The atrium is extended and reaches from XI b6 to XII b2. The basic colour of the body is brown grey to black. On the dorsal surface, there is a yellow median stripe, which is always very visible in juveniles. In adults, the stripe may be reduced to the anterior part of the body. The furrows between the annuli are very deep, each annulus is sharply keeled. On the keel, there is one transverse row of numerous minute yellow papillae.
Internal morphology
The pharynx is very muscular with very small pseudognatha.
Habitat & range
- Habitat
- Freshwater, Terrestrial
- Region
- Europe
- Recorded from
- Ukraine, Russia
Biology
This species lives semiaquatically in the littoral zone of stagnant waters. It occurs in temporary, flooded parts of rivers and ponds. It is a predator of macroinvertebrates; cannibalism has been recorded. It is known to feed on Unionidae, Planorbidae, Bithynia sp., Ostracoda and Erpobdella sp. The cocoons are deposited in spring. They are brown, elongated and very compact. They reach a length of 15 mm.
Original description
Lukin, E. I. (1929). Biologicheskie zametki o piyavkakh basseyna reki Dontsa. Tr. Kharkivsk. tov. doslidn. pryrody. LII: 33-76.
Sources used for this page
Picture:ISBN 9783827409270; Description: ISBN 9783827409270