Placobdelloides siamensis

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Placobdelloides siamensis
Placobdelloides siamensis: left, dorsal view; right: ventral view.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Class: Clitellata
Subclass: Hirudinea
Order: Rhynchobdellida
Family: Glossiphoniidae
Genus: Placobdelloides
Species:
P. siamensis
Binomial name
Placobdelloides siamensis
(Oka, 1917) Sawyer, 1986
Synonyms
  • Hemiclepsis siamensis Oka, 1917

Placobdelloides siamensis is a species of blood-feeding jawless leech in the family Glossiphoniidae.[1][2] It is commonly known as the Siam shield leech and is a prevalent ectoparasite on Malayemys turtles but has a range of Geoemydidae hosts. In high numbers it can cause severe anaemia and malnutrition which can lead to the death of its host.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was first described as Hemiclepsis siamensis by Oka in 1917[1] then transferred by Sawyer to his new genus Placobdelloides in 1986.[2] In 2018, it was redescribed from specimens collected in Thailand.[4]

Hosts

Malayemys subtrijuga
(arrows)

The type host is the Black Marsh Turtle,

Heosemys grandis.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Oka, A. 1917. Zoological Results of a Tour in the Far East, pt. III. Hirudinea. Memoirs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, VI, pp. 157-176, pl. VII.
  2. ^ a b Sawyer, R.T. 1986: Leech biology and behaviour. Volume II. Feeding biology, ecology, and systematics. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
  3. ^
    doi:10.3897/BDJ.8.e57237. Retrieved 2020-10-30. this study also showed two new hosts, including Cyclemys oldhamii and Heosemys grandis Open access icon