Motobdella montezuma
| Motobdella montezuma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Class: | Clitellata |
| Subclass: | Hirudinea |
| Order: | Arhynchobdellida |
| Family: | Erpobdellidae |
| Genus: | Motobdella |
| Species: | M. montezuma
|
| Binomial name | |
| Motobdella montezuma (Davies, Singhal & Blinn, 1985) [1]
| |
| Synonyms [2] | |
|
Erpobdella montezuma Davies, Singhal & Blinn, 1985 | |
Motobdella montezuma is a
Description
Adults of M. montezuma may reach a length of 71 mm (2.8 in) including the suckers at the front and rear.[3]
Distribution
Motobdella montezuma is closely related to the genus Erpobdella,[4] which includes species that are widespread across North America from Alaska to Mexico.[5] However, M. montezuma is only known to occur in a single pool, Montezuma Well, in the Montezuma Castle National Monument in Yavapai County, Arizona.[6]
Ecology
Montezuma Well, due to a high carbon dioxide level in the water, is unable to support a population of fish, leaving an ecological niche of predator-free open water. Although there are a number of species of invertebrates living in the well, the diet of M. montezuma consists almost entirely of the endemic amphipod Hyalella montezuma.[6]
Behavior
Motobdella montezuma is
Life cycle
Like many other leeches, M. montezuma is
References
- ^ "Motobdella montezuma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ "Erpobdellidae". Texas A&M University. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- .
- ISBN 978-0-12-690647-9.
- JSTOR 2424006.
- ^ JSTOR 3682581.
- ^ a b c d Fredric R. Govedich & Bonnie A. Bain (2005). "All about the leeches of Montezuma Well" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved April 19, 2010.