''Haemopis sanguisuga'' is a species of freshwater leech in the family Haemopidae. It is commonly called the horse-leech, but that is due to the similarity of its appearance to the leech '' Limnatis nilotica'', which sometimes enters the nasal cavities of livestock. ''Haemopis sanguisuga'' does not behave in this way. Another synonym for this leech is ''Aulastomum gulo''.

Description

''Haemopis sanguisuga'' can reach a length of , a similar size to the medicinal leech ''

Hirudo medicinalis ''Hirudo medicinalis'', the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as "medicinal leeches". Other species of ''Hirudo'' sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include '' H. orientalis'', ''H. troctina'', and '' H. ...

'', but can extend to a greater length when stretched out. The body is segmented; the upper surface is brownish-black, usually a solid colour but sometimes with streaks and spots, and the under surface is yellowish-grey or olive. There are two suckers, a small one at the anterior end and a larger one at the posterior end. There is a crescent-shaped grouping of five pairs of eyes on the head.

Distribution and habitat

''Haemopis sanguisuga'' is a freshwater leech and is found across most of Europe as well as in Asia. Typical habitats are in shallow parts of lakes, ponds, ditches and slow-moving rivers. It may emerge onto the land, hiding under stones, and it tolerates slightly brackish water. It can be found as far as 30 metres away from water.

Ecology

''Haemopis sanguisuga'' moves by looping, attaching its front sucker to the substrate, drawing forward the back sucker and positioning it close to the front one, and then detaching the front sucker and extending its front end forward. It can also move by swimming. It has a few blunt teeth in two rows and is a

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

rather than a blood-sucker. It feeds on insect larvae, fish eggs and fry, tadpoles, worms, other leeches, and gastropods; the prey is sucked in and swallowed whole. The leech sometimes emerges from the water to hunt for

earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. T ...

s. Like other leeches, ''Haemopis sanguisuga'' is a hermaphrodite. The testes mature first and the ovaries later in the organism's life. A pair of leeches will line up with the clitellar regions in contact, and sperm is passes by the one acting as male to the female

gonopore A gonopore, sometimes called a gonadopore, is a genital pore in many invertebrates. Hexapods, including insects have a single common gonopore, except mayflies, which have a pair of gonopores. More specifically, in the unmodified female it is t ...

. Some time later, several eggs are laid by the female, and these are wrapped in an albumin-filled cocoon that is secreted by the clitellum. The cocoon is buried in damp earth close to the water's edge. When the eggs hatch, the juveniles that emerge are about in length. A parasitic

diplomonad The diplomonads (Greek for "two units") are a group of flagellates, most of which are parasitic. They include ''Giardia duodenalis'', which causes giardiasis in humans. They are placed among the metamonads, and appear to be particularly close ...

, '' Hexamita gigas'', is sometimes found in the leech's gut. Most species of ''

Hexamita ''Hexamita'' is a genus of parasitic diplomonads. It is related to ''Giardia''. ''H. columbae'' and ''H. meleagridis'' live in the intestines of birds. ''H. muris'' and ''H. pitheci'' live in the intestines of mammals. ''H. salmonis'' and ''H. ...

'' infect vertebrates, and the only other known invertebrate hosts for this genus of flagellates are found among the cockroaches, such as the

oriental cockroach __NOTOC__ The oriental cockroach (''Blatta orientalis''), also known as the waterbug (as they live in damp areas) or black cockroaches (as their bodies are mostly dark), is a large species of cockroach, adult males being and adult females being ...

(''Blatta orientalis'').

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1051334 Leeches Freshwater animals of Asia Freshwater animals of Europe Invertebrates of Asia Invertebrates of Europe Animals described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus