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Macrobdella decora, also known as the North American medicinal leech, is a species of freshwater leech found in much of eastern North America in freshwater habitats, although there is one disjunct population in northern Mexico. M. decora is a parasite of vertebrates, including humans, and an aquatic predator of eggs, larvae, and other ...
Erpobdella obscura is a freshwater ribbon leech common in North America. It is a relatively large leech and is commonly used as bait by anglers for walleye and other sport fish. In Minnesota, live bait dealers annually harvest over 45,000 kg of bait-leeches, raising concerns of over-harvest. [3]
Some 680 species of leech have been described, of which around 100 are marine, 480 freshwater and the remainder terrestrial. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Among Euhirudinea , the true leeches, the smallest is about 1 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 in) long, and the largest is the giant Amazonian leech, Haementeria ghilianii , which can reach 30 cm (12 in).
Unlike many leeches which are blood-suckers, E. punctata is a predator and scavenger. [3] Among the invertebrates it eats are copepods, midges, earthworms and amphipods.This leech has been observed adhering to a salamander, thus being transported to a new location as well as benefiting from any food scraps discarded by the salamander.
Macrobdella is a genus of leeches native to freshwater ecosystems of North America, especially Canada, Mexico, and the United States. [2] The genus is commonly referred to as North American medicinal leeches.
Placobdella parasitica is a species of leech found in North America. [2] Leeches are habitual ectoparasites of vertebrates in aquatic environments. Placobdella parasitica is differentiated from other members of the genus Placobdella by its smooth dorsal surface, simple to complicated pigmentation, and abdomen with 8 to 12 stripes.
Philobdella floridana is a species of leech that lives in the most southern parts of the United States. It is known only from Lake Okeechobee in Florida, and is probably conspecific with Philobdella gracilis. [2]
From here it has spread to Australia, Europe and South America. It is a freshwater species. [2] In 2018 it was reported from two widely separated locations in North Carolina, but it is unclear whether these are as a result of two different introductions, or mean that the leech has become widely distributed but has previously been overlooked. [3]