The “wart-like” tubercles that cover the entire body of Pontobdella leeches are a distinguishing characteristic. Elasmobranchs, including as rays, sharks, skates, and sawfish, are typically the hosts of Pontobdella. All leeches have 32 body segments, each of which has three or four annuli.They are huge leeches; P. novaezealandiae is one species that can reach a length of 20 centimeters.
Classification of Pontobdella
Kingdom :- Animalia (Multicellular eukaryotic organisms)
Phylum :- Annelida (Segmented worms with true coelom and metamerism)
Class :- Hirudinea (Annelids with fixed segments, without parapodia and with anterior and posterior suckers)
Order :- Rhynchobdellida or Agnathobdellia (Proboscis protrusible; jaws and setae absent.)
Genus :- Pontobdella
Habit and habitat
Pontobdella leads ectoparasitic life. It is a marine annelid, parasitizing skates and rays.
Distribution
It is found in Europe and U.S.A.
Comments of Pontobdella
- Body is cylindrical, club-shaped measuring approximately 20 cm in length.
- Anterior region is narrow. Anterior sucker is saucer-shaped, fIrmly applied on the tissues of the host.
- Posterior sucker is deep and cub-shaped with serrated margin.
- Body surface is tuberculated having green tubercles or warts. It is rough and leathery.
- Metameres are not very conspicuous.
- Eyes and gills are absent. Pharynx is protrusible without jaws.
- Hermaphroditic.
- Reproduction sexual. Eggs are velvety, laid in empty mollusc shells.
Special features
The skate sucker (P. muricata) guards over the eggs for about three months till they are hatched.
Identification
Since the specimens contain green tubercles and all above features, hence it is Pontobdella.
See other posts also
- OSMOREGULATION OF FRESHWATER AND MARINE INVERTEBRATES
- PRIMITIVE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF COELeNTERATES AND ECHINODERMS
- Larval Forms of Crustaceans
- Larval forms of Mollusca
- Larval Forms in Echinodermata