''Placobdelloides siamensis '' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of blood-feeding jawless leech in the family

Glossiphoniidae Glossiphoniidae are a family of freshwater proboscis-bearing leeches. These leeches are generally flattened, and have a poorly defined anterior sucker. Most suck the blood of freshwater vertebrates like amphibians, crocodilians and aquatic tu ...

.Oka, A. 1917. Zoological Results of a Tour in the Far East, pt. III. Hirudinea. Memoirs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, VI, pp. 157-176, pl. VII.Sawyer, R.T. 1986: Leech biology and behaviour. Volume II. Feeding biology, ecology, and systematics. Clarendon Press, Oxford. It is commonly known as the Siam shield leech and is a prevalent ectoparasite on

Malayemys ''Malayemys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Geoemydidae. It was considered monotypic until 2005 It is found in several countries of Southeast Asia. Taxonomy The genus description is attributed to Wassili Adolfovitch Lindholm in 1931. ''Dam ...

turtles but has a range of

Geoemydidae The Geoemydidae (formerly known as Bataguridae) are one of the largest and most diverse families in the order Testudines (turtles), with about 70 species. The family includes the Eurasian pond and river turtles and Neotropical wood turtles. Memb ...

hosts. In high numbers it can cause severe anaemia and malnutrition which can lead to the death of its host.

Taxonomy

The species was first described as ''Hemiclepsis siamensis'' by Oka in 1917 then transferred by Sawyer to his new

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

'' Placobdelloides'' in 1986. In 2018, it was redescribed from specimens collected in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Hosts

The type host is the Black Marsh Turtle, '' Siebenrockiella crassicollis''. Other hosts include the Southeast Asian Box Turtle, ''

Cuora amboinensis The Amboina box turtle or Southeast Asian box turtle (''Cuora amboinensis'') is a species of Asian box turtle. It is found in the Nicobar Islands, eastern India (Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, central and southern Vietna ...

'', the Yellow-headed Temple Turtle, '' Heosemys annandalii'', the Mekong Snail-eating Turtle ''

Malayemys subtrijuga The Mekong snail-eating turtle (''Malayemys subtrijuga'') is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It was monotypic within the genus ''Malayemys'' until Brophy (2004, 2005) reevaluated (based on morphology) '' Malayemys macrocephala'' ( ...

'', the Malayan Snail-eating Turtle ''

Malayemys macrocephala The Malayan snail-eating turtle (''Malayemys macrocephala'') is a species of turtle in Malayemys genus of the family Geoemydidae. Distribution The Malayan snail-eating turtle is found in the Cambodia, Myanmar, west Malaysia and Thailand (coasta ...

'', the Khorat Snail-eating Turtle ''

Malayemys khoratensis The Khorat snail-eating turtle (''Malayemys khoratensis'') is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae The Geoemydidae (formerly known as Bataguridae) are one of the largest and most diverse families in the order Testudines (turtles), w ...

'', Oldham's lead turtle '' Cyclemys oldhamii'' and the giant Asian pond turtle ''

Heosemys grandis The giant Asian pond turtle (''Heosemys grandis'') inhabits rivers, streams, marshes, and rice paddies from estuarine lowlands to moderate altitudes (up to about ) throughout Cambodia and Vietnam and in parts of Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thail ...

''.

References

Leeches Parasites of reptiles Invertebrates of China Invertebrates of Thailand Animals described in 1917 {{Annelid-stub