The freshwater leeches ( Clitellata : Hirudinida ) of the Czech Republic - list of taxa and remarks on rare and endangered species Schenková J., Sychra J. & Kubová N. Department of Zoology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Masaryk Bohemia University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic, e-mail: Moravia [email protected] Introduction Based on molecular phylogeny theleeches (Hirudinida), together with Branchiobdellida and Acanthobdellida, form a monophyletic clade, whoseancestor was an oligochaetous clitellate related to thefamily Lumbriculidae (Erséus 2005). They represent mainly thermophilous freshwater species, inhabiting stagnant as well as running waters, a few species are amphibious. Leeches arecommon in eutrophic waters and often serveas indicators of pollution. Although someof them arepopular and well described – such as themedicinal leech ( Hirudo medicinalis ) – their study in theterritory of the Czech Republic has been neglected for a long time. Dr. Vladimír Košel from theComenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia) was theonly onewho has recently studied this group in detail (e.g. Košel 1999, 2001, 2004 and Košel & Beran 2006). Our study aims at summarizing current information about the distribution of leeches in theCzech Republic with special respect to new and rare species and at someidentification problems. An advanced check-list is submitted wherethedistribution of taxa is given separately for the Bohemian and Moravian regions. Both published data including thePERLA database(Kokeš et al. 2006), and our own records have been used. Fig. 1 Glossiphonia nebulosa , smaller papillaeamong the Check-list Comments main papillaerows Photo Petr Pa řil Check-list of leeches (Hirudinida) of the Czech Republic Glossiphoniidae The classification is according to Neubert & Nesemann (1999) with small modifications From eleven species occurring in theCzech Republic, fiveare very based on new information.B - species occurs in Bohemia; M - species occurs in Moravia; ? - probable occurrence,but presence not confirmed yet. common. ( Alboglossiphonia heteroclita , Glossiphonia complanata , Family: Glossiphoniidae Helobdella stagnalis , Hemiclepsis marginata , Theromyzon Alboglossiphonia heteroclita (Linnaeus,1761) B M tessulatum ). Further species, Glossiphonia concolor , can belocally =Glossiphonia heteroclita (Linnaeus,1761) abundant, it prefers especially stagnant or slowly running waters. Alboglossiphonia hyalina (O.F.Müller,1774) B M Theother species arescarceor rare. Glossiphonia nebulosa , which =Glossiphonia heteroclita f. hyalina (O.F.Müller,1774) Alboglossiphonia striata (Apáthy,1888) B? M was formerly recorded only from the most southern part of the =Glossiphonia heteroclita f. striata (Apáthy,1888) country (Košel 1999), has recently been known from more Glossiphonia complanata (Linnaeus,1758) B M localities both in the Bohemian and Moravian territory as a Fig. 2 Alboglossiphonia hyalina Fig. 3 Alboglossiphonia Glossiphonia concolor (Apáthy,1883) BM common species, especially in small and medium-sized running striata Glossiphonia nebulosa Kalbe,1964 BM Photo Petr Pa řil Photo Jana waters. Formerly, this species was probably neglected and Schenková Glossiphonia slovaca (Košel,1973) M confused with G. complanata , from which it differs by the presence =Batracobdella slovaca Košel,1973 of smaller papillae among the main papillae rows (Fig. 1). This Helobdella stagnalis (Linnaeus,1758) BM Hemiclepsis marginata (O.F.Müller,1774) B M pattern is typical also of G. verrucata , which lives mainly in Theromyzon tessulatum (O.F.Müller,1774) B M shallow stagnant waters rich in vegetation and occurrenceof which Family: Piscicolidae in the Czech Republic has not been definitely confirmed so far. Caspiobdella fadejewi (Epshtein,1961) BM Other species, G. slovaca , is only very rarein theCzech Republic. Piscicola geometra (Linnaeus,1758) BM Thecentreof its relatively restricted distribution is in lowlands of Piscicola respirans Troschel,1850 BM the Danube river basin and thus in southern Moravia (the Dyje =Cystobranchus respirans (Troschel,1850) Family: Haemopidae River), this species has its northern border of distribution (Košel Haemopis sanguisuga (Linnaeus,1758) BM 1999, Schenková & Košel 2005). Family: Hirudinidae Because of both morphological and genetic differences, two new Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus,1758 M Family: Erpobdellidae species were recently separated from the taxon Alboglossiphonia Dina lineata (O.F.Müller,1774) BM heteroclita (Trontelj 1997, Neubert & Nesemann 1999), viz, A. Erpobdella nigricollis (Brandes,1900) BM hyalina and A. striata . Their distribution in central Europe has still Erpobdella octoculata (Linnaeus,1758) BM been little known; it appears that they only rarely occur in Erpobdella testacea (Savigny,1822) BM vegetated ponds and pools. The occurrence of A. hyalina was Fig. 4 A. hyalina , distribution Fig. 5 A. striata , distribution Erpobdella vilnensis Liskiewicz,1925 BM recorded in four localities within the country (Švec 1960, Košel =Erpobdella monostriata (Lindenfeld & Pietruszynski,1890) part. 1999, Košel & Beran 2006, Špaček leg. 2007; Fig. 4). This leech is Trocheta cylindrica Örley,1886 BM =Trocheta bykowskii Gedroyč,1913 smaller than A. heteroclita and has translucent coloring without any pigmentation (Fig. 2). On the other side, A. striata has very contrast transverserows of dark spots (Fig. 3) and its distribution has been littleknown; several findings comefrom a small area in southern Moravia (Košel 1999, own observations, Fig. 5). Owing to its presencein western Europe (e. g. Grosser 2004), its occurrence Hirudinidae also in the Bohemian territoryPiscicolidae can beassumed. Medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis (Fig. 8), the most famous Although some authors studied this family in detail (e. g. Epshtein et al. 1994), its taxonomy is still representative of Hirudinida, shows recently decreasing unclear and demands further investigations. Piscicola geometra is the most common species; some Fig. 6 H. medicinalis , population numbers in theCzech Republic, and it was evaluated specimens found in Czech rivers and streams are very variable in coloring. Information about the distribution as a critically endangered species (CR) (Schenková & Košel distribution of Piscicola respirans (sometimes referred to as Cystobranchus respirans ) is only 2005). This can be probably due to its specific habitat fragmentary and the species seems to be scarce in fast running waters at higher altitudes. requirements: shallow stagnant water bodies in lowlands grown Caspiobdella fadejewi , thecentreof distribution of which in central Europeis the DanubeRiver basin by vegetation, under rather temperate climatic conditions, stable and which has been known in theCzech Republic recently only from southern Moravia, has been newly water level and presence of amphibians for juveniles and recorded in several additional localities in theLabe River basin (Horecký leg. 2007). mammals for adults as hosts. H. medicinalis used to inhabit pools and dead channels in the Morava and Dyje River basins in Erpobdellidae southern Moravia during the first half of the twentieth century Themost frequent representatives of family Erpobdellidae, Erpobdella octoculata and E. vilnensis , are (Zavřel 1923, Hrabě 1936) and, in thesecond half, it continued distributed equally on the whole territory of Czech Republic in running as well as stagnant waters, to occur in only several of them (Hrabě et al. 1954, Vojtek et al. often together. E. vilnensis , however, prefers higher elevations and/or colder water, while E. 1967 and Koubková & Vojtková 1973; Fig. 6). octoculata is very common also in lowlands. E. nigricollis occurs locally especially in larger rivers in the Fig. 7 Pastvisko – locality of H. Recent findings arescarce(Sukop 2004), hencethe whole country, but it is not abundant anywhere. Other species, E. testacea and Dina lineata are rather medicinalis Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape rare, they prefer stagnant or slow running waters in lowlands, from which we still do not have Protection of theCzech Republic has organized an sufficient data. Amphibious species Trocheta cylindrica was recorded on several running water intensive monitoring and revision of its distribution localities as well as in smaller pools, mostly in Moravia. Therecords by Bojková (2006, unpubl.) from since 2005. In spite of this, H. medicinalis was calcareous spring fens in Bílé Karpaty Mts. areof particular interest. recorded in only three localities (in square No. 7166, Fig. 6), stablepopulation during theyears of monitoring having been found in only one of them, Conclusions Pastvisko near Lednice (Fig. 7). Pastvisko has been There are 21 species of freshwater leeches currently recorded within the Czech Republic territory. protected as National Nature Monument for water Hirudo medicinalis is classified as critically endangered and Glossiphonia slovaca as vulnerable birds protection since1990. This locality represents (Schenková & Košel 2005). Most species arethreatened mainly by thedestruction of original habitats a semi-natural wetland with a system of pools of and their conservation is dependent of the conservation of existing localities. different age, formed since1970, 30.5 ha of total area. Regulation of water level is provided by Themost diverse leech fauna was recorded in southern Moravia, mainly in thearea of theMorava and Photo Jana Dyje confluence, where some species from south-eastern Europediffuse, such as Glossiphonia slovaca . Schenková system