Pontobdella

Pontobdella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Clade:	Pleistoannelida
Clade:	Sedentaria
Class:	Clitellata
Subclass:	Hirudinea
Order:	Rhynchobdellida
Family:	Piscicolidae
Genus:	Pontobdella; Leach, 1815
Type species
	Hirudo muricata;

Pontobdella is a species of marine leeches with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are covered with tubercles and their primary hosts are rays, sharks, skates, and sawfish.

Distribution

Pontobdella species are found on the coasts of Africa, Eurasia, the Americas, New Zealand, and even Antarctica.

Characteristics

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.^: 236 They are large leeches; one species, Pontobdella novaezealandiae, can grow as long as 20 centimetres.^: 236

Classification

The genus was described by William Elford Leach. Pontobdella is placed in the family Piscicolidae, and is confirmed to form a monophyletic grouping.^: 193

Species

The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:

Pontobdella aculeata Harding, 1924
Pontobdella afra Baird, 1869
Pontobdella biannulata Moore, 1957
Pontobdella californiana Burreson & Passarelli, 2015
Pontobdella dispar Cordero, 1938
Pontobdella leucothela Schmarda, 1861
Pontobdella macrothela Schmarda, 1861
Pontobdella moorei Oka, 1910
Pontobdella muricata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Pontobdella novaezealandiae Burreson & Williams, 2008
Pontobdella oligothela Schmarda, 1861
Pontobdella prionodiscus Schmarda, 1861
Pontobdella variegata Baird, 1869
Pontobdella vosmaeri (Apáthy, 1888)

References

1 2 "Pontobdella Leach, 1815". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
↑ Kuo, Dian-Han; Lai, Yi-Te (4 November 2018). "On the origin of leeches by evolution of development". Development, Growth & Differentiation. 61 (1): 43–57. doi:10.1111/dgd.12573. PMID 30393850. S2CID 53218704.
1 2 Burreson, Eugene M.; Passarelli, Julianne Kalman (2015). "A New Species of Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from California with a Redescription of the Genus Pontobdella" (PDF). Comparative Parasitology. 82 (2). The Helminthological Society of Washington: 235–239. doi:10.1654/4757.1. ISSN 1525-2647.
↑ Burreson, Eugene M.; Williams, Julianne I. (2008). "Two new genera and three new species of leeches (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from New Zealand marine fishes". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 42 (4): 379–387. doi:10.1080/00288330809509966. ISSN 0028-8330. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
↑ Ruiz-Escobar, Fernando; Torres-Carrera, Gerardo; Islas-Villanueva, Valentina; Oceguera-Figueroa, Alejandro (2024-05-03). "Molecular Phylogeny of the Leech Genus Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) with Notes on Pontobdella californiana and Pontobdella macrothela". Journal of Parasitology. 110 (3). doi:10.1645/23-122. ISSN 0022-3395.
↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pontobdella Leach, 1815". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.

[:1-1] 1 2 "Pontobdella Leach, 1815". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2024-11-28.

[Kuo_Lai_2018-2] Kuo, Dian-Han; Lai, Yi-Te (4 November 2018). "On the origin of leeches by evolution of development". Development, Growth & Differentiation. 61 (1): 43–57. doi:10.1111/dgd.12573. PMID 30393850. S2CID 53218704.

[:0-3] 1 2 Burreson, Eugene M.; Passarelli, Julianne Kalman (2015). "A New Species of Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from California with a Redescription of the Genus Pontobdella" (PDF). Comparative Parasitology. 82 (2). The Helminthological Society of Washington: 235–239. doi:10.1654/4757.1. ISSN 1525-2647.

[4] Burreson, Eugene M.; Williams, Julianne I. (2008). "Two new genera and three new species of leeches (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) from New Zealand marine fishes". New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 42 (4): 379–387. doi:10.1080/00288330809509966. ISSN 0028-8330. Retrieved 2024-11-28.

[:12-5] Ruiz-Escobar, Fernando; Torres-Carrera, Gerardo; Islas-Villanueva, Valentina; Oceguera-Figueroa, Alejandro (2024-05-03). "Molecular Phylogeny of the Leech Genus Pontobdella (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) with Notes on Pontobdella californiana and Pontobdella macrothela". Journal of Parasitology. 110 (3). doi:10.1645/23-122. ISSN 0022-3395.

[6] "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pontobdella Leach, 1815". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.