A laboratory study of the food of three species of leeches occurring in British lakes

Young, J. O.; Ironmonger, J. W.

doi:10.1007/bf00018828

Cited by 49 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…These studies led to the conclusion that, in its corresponding habitat, E. octoculata feeds predominantly on chironomid larvae (up to 80% of diet), followed by oligochaeta and other small invertebrates. Laboratory experiments on the food consumed by individual adult leeches that were kept in dishes corroborated and extended these results (YOUNG and IRON-MONGER, 1979;1980). However, corresponding studies with juvenile leeches (1-3 days after hatching) were not carried out.…”

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confidence: 68%

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The Feeding Strategies of the Leech Erpobdella octoculata (L.): A Laboratory Study

Kutschera

2003

International Review of Hydrobiology

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The feeding behaviour of the freshwater leech Erpobdella octoculata was analysed by exposing potential invertebrate and vertebrate prey organisms (alive, wounded or dead) to leech attack in dishes, in the laboratory. The fact that E. octoculata is a macrophagous feeder that swallows living prey organisms whole (preferentially Chironomus larvae) is documented. However, it was repeatedly observed that adult leeches sucked the body fluids from wounded larvae. Likewise, cut pieces of earthworms, dead crustaceans and crushed water snails were attacked and the soft parts sucked in with the aid of the unarmed pharynx. Adult leeches sucked the body fluids from dead, decaying bodies of vertebrates (fish, newt larvae). Newly hatched young are blood suckers that rapidly attacked the wounded regions of Chironomus larvae and other invertebrates such as crushed water snails. It is concluded that the common leech E. octoculata is not only a predator, but also a fluid sucker and a scavenger. The ecological implications of this finding are discussed. IntroductionIn running waters throughout Europe, Erpobdella octoculata is one of the most common freshwater leeches (ELLIOTT and MANN, 1979;NEUBERT and NESEMANN, 1999). In streams that are polluted to some extent by organic substances, this species may occur in very high population densities (up to 900 individuals/m 2 ; SCHÖNBORN, 1985). This is largely due to the fact that the leeches feed extensively on oligochaetes such as Tubifex and on Chironomus larvae (ELLIOTT, 1973;TOMAN and DALL, 1997). In general, E. octoculata has been classified as a macrophagous, carnivorous predator that swallows its invertebrate prey organisms whole with the aid of an unarmed, musculous pharynx (HERTER, 1968;SAWYER, 1986; KUT-SCHERA and WIRTZ, 2001).Several quantitative analyses of the gut contents in natural E. octoculata-populations have been published (e.g., ELLIOTT, 1973; DALL, 1983;SCHÖNBORN, 1985;TOMAN and DALL, 1997). These studies led to the conclusion that, in its corresponding habitat, E. octoculata feeds predominantly on chironomid larvae (up to 80% of diet), followed by oligochaeta and other small invertebrates. Laboratory experiments on the food consumed by individual adult leeches that were kept in dishes corroborated and extended these results (YOUNG and IRON-MONGER, 1979;1980). However, corresponding studies with juvenile leeches (1-3 days after hatching) were not carried out. In spite of the importance of E. octoculata in aquatic ecosystems only one detailed study on the feeding behaviour of this species has been published (GREENE, 1974). This investigator used mature individuals of E. octoculata; he observed (and counted) the kinds and numbers of prey consumed, the influence of substrate on feeding efficiency and the effects of temperature on these processes. Only two kinds of prey

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confidence: 68%

“…If the active 'circumnavigating' hungry Erpobdella happens to contact a potential prey organism, the leech attempts to seize and swallow it. This behaviour, described by ELLIOTT (1973), GREENE (1974), YOUNG and IRONMONGER (1980) and SAWYER (1986, is depicted in Fig. 1A, B and can be regarded as the 'standard-feeding' of Erpobdella.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Feeding Strategies of the Leech Erpobdella octoculata (L.): A Laboratory Study

Kutschera

2003

International Review of Hydrobiology

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“…Predation of glossiphoniid leeches on snails is well documented (Young and Ironmonger 1980;Raut and Nandi 1985;Bronmark and Malmqvist 1986;Wilken and Appleton 1991). Chernin et al (1956), Michelson (1957Michelson ( , 1961, Abdallah and Tawfik (1972) and Raut and Nandi (1984) have suggested use of leeches in biological control programmes against intermediate snail hosts of parasites for eradicating snail-borne diseases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Feeding of the leech Glossiphonia weberi on the introduced snail Pomacea bridgesii in India

Aditya

Raut

2005

Aquat Ecol

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The predation potential of the indigenous leech Glossiphonia weberi on the snail Pomacea bridgesii, introduced in India, was evaluated in the laboratory. Snails used belonged to the size-classes £ 3.0, 3.1 -5.0, 5.1 -7.0 and 7.1 -9.0 mm in shell height, using them both separately and together (mixed) in combinations. In each experiment lasting 24 h a single leech belonging to the size-classes 2.0 -3.9, 4.0 -5.9, 6.0 -7.9, 8.0 -9.9 and 10.0 -11.9 mm in length was used. Except the 4.0 -5.9 mm size-class, leeches were able to capture and kill P. bridgesii irrespective of latter's size; the predation, however, was confined to snails £ 3.0 mm. The rate of predation varied with the size of the predator and the prey, and a leech was able to kill a maximum of three snails per day. In India, in nature G. weberi feeds mostly on the pulmonate snail, Lymnaea (Radix) luteola. Experimental studies, however, revealed that G. weberi prefers the snails P. bridgesii and L. (R) luteola at the same rate from amongst the many other either less or not-preferred native operculate and non-operculate snails.

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“…It is therefore tempting to speculate that it may not yet have had sufficient opportunity to evolve a capacity for recognising the relatively newly encountered predator. This lack of a pre-emptive defence reaction may help to explain why Young and Ironmonger (1979) found that G. complanata fed more readily on P jenkinsi than on B. tentaculata.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…V cristata is a small animal and its flattened, tightly coiled shell, with a very small aperture, may make insertion of the leech proboscis difficult . P jenkinsi, in contrast, can definitely be fed upon by G. complanata (Young & Ironmonger, 1979), but it does not exhibit an obvious defence reaction when confronted by it . This is an unusual snail in that it has recently greatly expanded its distribution ; the first record of it occurring in freshwater was in 1893, before which it was regarded as a brackish water species (Macan, 1969) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operculum closing as a defence against predatory leeches in four British freshwater prosobranch snails

Kelly

Cory

1987

Hydrobiologia

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The defence reaction of operculum closing in response to the presence of the molluscivorous leech Glossiphonia complanata (L .) and the non-molluscivorous Erpobdella octoculata (L .) was studied in four species of freshwater prosobranch gastropod . Bithynia tentaculata (L .) and Valvata piscinalis (Muller) can distinguish between the leeches, reacting only to G . complanata. VV piscinalis is capable of a greater degree of distance chemoreception of the leech `scent' . Valvata cristata Muller and Potamopyrgus jenkinsi (Smith) did not react to either leech . V cristata may not be a potential prey item for G . complanata, while P jenkinsi is fed on by the leech, but is a relative newcomer to the freshwater fauna .

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A laboratory study of the food of three species of leeches occurring in British lakes

Cited by 49 publications

References 26 publications

The Feeding Strategies of the Leech Erpobdella octoculata (L.): A Laboratory Study

The Feeding Strategies of the Leech Erpobdella octoculata (L.): A Laboratory Study

Feeding of the leech Glossiphonia weberi on the introduced snail Pomacea bridgesii in India

Operculum closing as a defence against predatory leeches in four British freshwater prosobranch snails

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