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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, comprise a large phylum called 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.
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 ).
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 ...
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
"Jawed leeches" - termed "Gnathobdellae" or "Gnathobdellida" - are exclusively found among the Hirudiniformes, but the order contains a number of jawless families as well. The jawed, toothed forms make up the aquatic Hirudidae and the terrestrial Haemadipsidae and Xerobdellidae (sometimes included in the preceding but worthy of recognition as ...
Hirudo medicinalis, or the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches. Other species of Hirudo sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include H. orientalis, H. troctina, and H. verbana. The Asian medicinal leech includes Hirudinaria manillensis, and the North American medicinal leech is ...
Phylum: Annelida: Clade: Pleistoannelida: Clade: Sedentaria: Class: Clitellata: ... Hirudinidae [1] is a family of leeches belonging to the order Arhynchobdellida. [2 ...