Leech-Like Parasites (Clitellata, Acanthobdellida) Infecting Native and Endemic Eastern Siberian Salmon Fishes

Abstract

Salmonoid fish bdellosis is caused by leech-like ectoparasites in the monogenetic order Acanthobdellida. Although Acanthobdella species have been known to infect several threatened species in Eurasia, little is known about their ecology and epidemiology. In this paper, we report on the mass affection (up to 70.7%) of fish in lower course of the Chechuj River, a right tributary of the Lena and provide information on finding Acanthobdella peledina on two of six salmonoid fish species inhabiting there: lenok and grayling. New and more specific data on morphological peculiarities and feeding strategy were obtained. The ratio of body length to width in studied acanthobdellid collection is significantly less than one provided for the A. livanowi and the rest A. peledina from other water systems of Eurasia. Biology and lifestyle of the parasite population are revealed for the first time.

New Records of Lake Baikal Leech Fauna: Species Diversity and Spatial Distribution in Chivyrkuy Gulf

“…We have never found these three fish parasites in Baikal. It has been proved that Snimschikova [24] erroneously put A. peledina into the list of Baikal leeches [27, 28]. We agree that P. geometra has wide distribution throughout the entire territory of the former USSR except for waters of Kamchatka and Lake Baikal [18] and that distribution of C. mammillatus is confined to northern waters including large tributaries of Lake Baikal such as the Selenga River (found at a distance of 1.5 km from Lake Baikal) and the Upper Angara River, but never Lake Baikal itself [27].…”

First Records of Potamic Leech Fauna of Eastern Siberia, Russia

“…Within Eastern Siberia, A. peledina is recorded from the Chechuj River, the Chaya River, the Chuja River, tributaries of the Lena River, and the Upper Angara River belonging to Lake Baikal basin. Eastern Siberian specimens have bright green coloration, and the ratio of body length to width is signi�cantly less than the rest A. peledina from other water systems of Eurasia [7].…”

“…He indicated nine species in Siberia and the Far East; only four species of them were found in the rivers of Eastern Siberia. us, up to date three species belonging to family Piscicolidae in rivers near the Lake Baikal (source of Angara, delta of Selenga and Upper Angara) were known, namely, Cystobranchus mammillatus (Malm, 1863), Baicalobdella torquata (Grube 1871), Acipenserobdella volgensis (Zykoff, 1903) [2,4], and one leech-like �sh parasite Acanthobdella peledina inhabiting solely northern part of the region [2,[5][6][7].…”

An overview of leech and its therapeutic applications

“…The morphological features include the possession of setae restricted to the cephalic region, an oligochaete-like seminal funnel, possession of leech-like fused male gonopores, oblique musculature and a caudal sucker for attachment to their host [14]. Organisms that are classified as leeches and leech-like worms, are referred to as a group of specialized clitellate annelids.…”