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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]
The Glossiphoniidae, the freshwater jawless leeches, [citation needed] or leaf leeches (due to their shape) [11] are freshwater leeches, flattened, and with a poorly defined anterior sucker. [2] The family Glossiphoniidae contains one of the world's largest species of leech, the giant Amazon leech , which can grow up to 45 cm in length. [ 12 ]
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).
It is found in much of eastern North America in freshwater habitats, although there is one disjunct population in northern Mexico. M. decora is both a parasite of vertebrates, including humans, and an aquatic predator of eggs, larvae, and other invertebrates. Macrobdella decora is a medium-sized leech with a spotted greenish-brown back and a ...
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.
The species of this genus are found in Europe and Northern America. [1] The World Register of Marine Species accepts one species within Cystobranchus. [2] Cystobranchus is also known as a leech, and it is a freshwater leech, usually found in revisers, streams, lakes, and ponds across North America.
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]
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 .