A new marine fish leech species of the genus Oceanobdella (Clitellata, Piscicolidae) from coastal waters of Sakhalin Island

• Published in: Acta Parasitologica
• Main Author: Utevsky, Serge
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2009
• Subjects: Parasitology; Leech; Sakhalin
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/s11686-009-0047-x; http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.2478/s11686-009-0047-x.pdf; http://link.springer.com/article/10.2478/s11686-009-0047-x/fulltext.html; http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.2478/s11686-009-0047-x

Abstract A new species of marine fish leeches is described and compared with its congeners. Oceanobdella sakhalinica possesses a unique combination of characters: the anterior sucker is small; one of posterior transverse bands on the urosome is very dark; a wedge-shaped patch is located on the posterior sucker; posterior crop caeca are separate for their entire length; accessory glands on the atrium are lacking; five pairs of testisacs are present; the copulatory area and the conductive tissue are lacking. Hosts include a sculpin Myoxocephalus sp. and the blackline prickleback Acantholumpenus mackayi. The leeches were collected in Aniva Bay, southern Sakhalin.