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Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida.They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodies that can lengthen and contract.
The annelids (/ ˈ æ n ə l ɪ d z /), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (/ ə ˈ n ɛ l ɪ d ə /; from Latin anellus 'little ring'). [ 3 ] [ a ] The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species , including ragworms , earthworms , and leeches .
The subclass Hirudinea (leeches) contains three orders with various habitat preferences. Branchiobdellida are commensal with freshwater crayfish, grazing algae from their exoskeletons. Acanthobdellida are parasitic on freshwater fishes such as grayling. Leeches can be found in nearly every part of the world, in freshwater, terrestrial, and ...
A prominent feature of Pontobdella leeches are the "wart-like" tubercles which cover their bodies all over. Pontobdella 's hosts are generally elasmobranchs – rays, sharks, skates, and sawfish. Each segment of the leech's body (and all leeches have 32) has three or four annuli .
Hirudinaria [1] is a genus of large Asian leeches belonging to the family Cylicobdellidae; [2] previously it was placed in the Hirudinidae. [3] [a] It includes species such as H. manillensis that may be called "Asian medicinal leeches", but together with the genus Poecilobdella, they are also described as Asian buffalo leeches.
List of annelid families describes the taxa relationships in the phylum Annelida, which contains more than 17,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. [ 1 ] Class Polychaeta
Glossiphoniid leeches exhibit remarkable parental care, the most highly developed one among the known annelids. They produce a membranous bag to hold the eggs, which is carried on the underside. The young attach to the parent's belly after hatching and are thus ferried to their first meal. [6] Certain Glossiphoniidae parasitize amphibian species.
Commonly known as jawed land leeches, these annelids are known from subtropical and tropical regions around the Indian and Pacific Ocean. [1] Well-known Haemadipsidae are for example the Indian Leech ( Haemadipsa sylvestris ) and the yamabiru or Japanese Mountain Leech ( Haemadipsa zeylanica ).