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BIOLOGY AND OCCURRENCE OF THE LEECH, ACTINOBDELLA INEQUIANNULATA (ANNELIDA: HIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE) PARASITIC ON TWO SPECIES OF SUCKERS
Citation:
Klemm, D J., B. A. Daniels, AND W. E. Moser. BIOLOGY AND OCCURRENCE OF THE LEECH, ACTINOBDELLA INEQUIANNULATA (ANNELIDA: HIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE) PARASITIC ON TWO SPECIES OF SUCKERS. Presented at North American Benthological Society, Athens, GA, May 27-31, 2003.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
Actinobdella inequiannulata was found on the white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, and less frequently on the longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. This study established the presence of only one species of leech, Actinobdela inequiannulata (Moore, 1901) parasitic on the white sucker, Catsotomus commersoni (Lacepede, 1803), and occasionally on the longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus (Forster, 1773), and was also undertaken to determine the population dynamics of this leech species and its influence on fish community and health. In May and October, less than 3% of the fish carried leeches. In July, 80% of the fish were parasitized with an average of 1.5 leeches per fish. Observations on leech weight suggest young leeches attach to fish from May to September, some mature in July, and a second generation of leeches re-parasitize the fish in August and September. The mean size of leeches on suckers increased from May until July, after which size remained relatively constant. Leeches produced characteristic lesions on the opercula of suckers. Fully-developed lesions on fish opercula by aggregated leeches had varying amounts of central erosion, extravasation, dermal and epidermal hyperplasia, and necrosis.