Pontobdella californiana
| Pontobdella californiana | |
|---|---|
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| Graphic comparing the maximum length of Pontobdella californiana with an average human hand. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Class: | Clitellata |
| Subclass: | Hirudinea |
| Order: | Rhynchobdellida |
| Family: | Piscicolidae |
| Genus: | Pontobdella |
| Species: | P. californiana
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| Binomial name | |
| Pontobdella californiana Burreson & Passarelli, 2015
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Pontobdella californiana is a species of marine leech found off the southern Pacific coast of North America. They are relatively large, greenish, tubercle-covered leeches who parasitize skates and rays. The species was scientifically described in 2015 based on previously-collected specimens and has since been recorded elsewhere.
Description
[edit]General appearance
[edit]Pontobdella californiana, like all Pontobdella species, is covered with round nodules on its back and on its underside.[1]: 236 While adult leeches are generally green, with black, brown, and white splotches, the leech hatchlings are pale green.[2]: 189 Pontobdella californiana is a relatively large species, growing up to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) long and 6 millimetres (0.24 in) across.[1]: 235
Parasitism
[edit]Leeches in the genus Pontobdella are ectoparasites, feeding from their hosts on the outside rather than infesting them from within.[3][2]: 186 The holotype was found on a big skate; leeches have also been recorded on thornback guitarfish and another skate.[1]: 235–36
Taxonomy
[edit]Pontobdella californiana was described in 2015, based on already-collected specimens dating into the early 20th century. The species was first collected in 1904 on an expedition of the research vessel the USS Albatross. A 2015 paper identified the specimens as representing a new species. The specific epithet refers to its type location, California.[1]: 235
Classification
[edit]Pontobdella californiana is a jawless leech in the family Piscicolidae and the subfamily Pontobdellinae, the latter clade being restricted to only marine and brackish habitats.[4][5]
Phylogeny
[edit]A molecular analysis published in 2024 found that Pontobdella californiana is the sister taxon to P. muricata. These two are in turn the sister group to a clade comprising P. leucothela and P. macrothela.[2]: 191–92
| Cladogram illustrating species closely related to P. californiana | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Distribution
[edit]First described from the coast of California, Pontobdella californiana has since been found in coastal Oaxaca, México.[1]: 235 [2]: 188
Specifically, in California it has been reported as far north as near Monterey Bay, and southwards around Los Angeles; in Oaxaca it was found in several places on the southern coast in the area of the Punta Cometa and La Ventanilla.[1]: 235 [2]: 188
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f 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.
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ Matthews, Bernard E. (1998-05-07). An Introduction to Parasitology. Cambridge University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-521-57691-8.
- ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pontobdellinae Llewellyn, 1966". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ British Museum (Natural History); History), British Museum (Natural (1966). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology. Vol. v.14 (1966). London: BM(NH).