Checklist / Glossiphoniidae / Marsupiobdella / Marsupiobdella africana
Marsupiobdella africana
ยท Glossiphoniidae
External morphology
Small leech, up to 7 mm in lenght. Spindle-shaped. 2 closely placed triangular eye spots. Coloration is of semitransparent character. Green and brown pigment cells scattered over the body. Equiped with unique ventral brooding pouch in which eggs and juveniles are protected against predation during development. Brooding pouch swollen when juveniles are developing inside.
Habitat & range
- Habitat
- Freshwater
- Region
- Africa
- Recorded from
- South Africa
Biology
Parasitic on african clawed frogs. Particularly interesting and unique reproduction strategy amoung glossiphonid leeches. Leech transfering eggs into ventral pouch where they are incubated for 4 weeks. Juveniles growing in pouch for month. Juveniles are discharged on host when they are fully developed.
Original description
Goddard, E. J.; Malan, D. E. (1912). The South African Hirudinea - part 1. Annals of the South African Museum. 11(4): 307-319, no figures.