Neotropical Biology and Conservation 3(1):39-48, january - april 2008 © by Unisinos A Catalogue of the Piscicolidae, Ozobranchidae, and Arhynchobdellida (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) from South America Catálogo das famílias Piscicolidae, Ozobranchidae e Arhynchobdellida (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) da América do Sul Martin Lindsey Christoffersen1 [email protected] Abstract A catalogue of the families Americobdellidae, Cyclobdellidae, Cylicobdellidae, Erpobdellidae, Euhirudinea, Hirudinidae, Macrobdellidae, Ozobranchidae, Piscicolidae, Salifidae, Semiscolecidae, and Xerobdellidae produced 66 nominal species reported to date from South America. 86% of this fauna is endemic to the South American continent. Synonyms and detailed South American occurrences are provided. This is the first reassessment of South American leeches other than Glossiphoniidae in 26 years. An inventory of this little- studied group may be important from an applied point of view. Leeches have very high endemicity rates in South America, perhaps unparalleled in freshwater environments. Arguably these animals could serve as important model organisms for ecological studies, particularly as environmental indicators. Key words: biodiversity, environmental indicators, leeches, Neotropical region. Resumo Um catálogo das famílias de Americobdellidae, Cyclobdellidae, Cylicobdellidae, Erpobdellidae, Euhirudinea, Hirudinidae, Macrobdellidae, Ozobranchidae, Piscicolidae, Salifidae, Semiscolecidae e Xerobdellidae produziu 66 espécies nominais assinalados até o momento para a América do Sul. Do total, 86% desta fauna é endêmica para o continente sul-americano. Sinonímias e ocorrências detalhadas para a América do Sul são fornecidas. Esta é a primeira reavaliação da fauna de hirudíneos não-glossifonídeos da América do Sul em 26 anos. Um inventário deste grupo pouco estudado poderá ser importante de um ponto de vista aplicado. Sanguessugas têm um índice muito alto de endemismo na Améri- ca do Sul, talvez sem paralelo em ambientes aquáticos. Estes organismos poderiam servir como um importante modelo para estudos ecológicos de ambientes aquáticos, particular- 1 Departamento de Sistemática e Ecolo- mente como indicadores de qualidade ambiental. gia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, 58059-900, João Pessoa, Pa- raíba, Brazil. Palavras-chave: biodiversidade, indicadores ambientais, sanguessugas, região Neotropical. 039a048_Christoffersen.pmd 39 22/4/2008, 22:30 Martin Lindsey Christoffersen Introduction difficult, because even very inconspi- leeches that prey mainly on inverte- cuous external characters may someti- brates, swallowing and smashing them The diverisity and endemism of neo- mes be reliable for species separation, with a long muscular pharynx (Tron- tropical hirudineans, which are a result while some anatomical characters telj et al., 1999, p. 141), having aban- of limited dispersal range of the majo- appear to be highly variable within the doned the blood feeding habits of their rity of species, is well known (Moore, species and sometimes even among ancestors (Siddall, 2002, p. 1). San- 1911; Siddall and Borda, 2004, p. 14). individuals (Sket, 1968). guivorous hirudinids feed primarily on South America is especially important Arhynchobdellidan evolution involved blood, assisted by their toothed jaws because of the large number of ende- a move to land. They contain large, (Trontelj et al., 1999, p. 141). They mic species. aquatic hirudinids with serrate muscu- make tripartite incisions in the skin of Monotypic South American Americo- lar jaws, or smaller terrestrial blood- their hosts, from which they draw on bella lies at the base of the erpobdellid feeding groups. Many arhynchobdelli- the upwelling blood. Hirudo medici- leeches, being an example of the im- dans possess multiple eyespots for 3- nalis sucks blood directly through ex- portance of South America in leech dimensional vision. The eggs of arrhyn- ternal mammalian skin, usually until evolution and diversification (Siddall chobdellidans (Erpobdella and Hirudo) gorged, and then drops off from its et al., 2001, p. 346). The widespread are small (circa 100 μm), and their de- host. The blood ingested by starved Asian Barbronia weberi, on the other velopment and gastrulation undergoes leeches amounts from six to nine ti- hand, is an example of an accidental modifications parallel to those of me- mes their weight in one meal. Occa- introduction of leeches. This species gadrile eggs in relation to microdriles sionally, H. medicinalis invades the feeds predominantly on chironomid (Omodeo, 1998, p. 63), a clear evolu- nostrils of its mammalian host. This larvae (Siddall and Budinoff, 2005, p. tionary response to a terrestrial exis- species has been used in medicine 470). The mostly New World ´medical tence. Arhynchobdellidans deposit co- since ancient times (Orevi et al., leeches´, Macrobdellidae and Semisco- coons with a hard surface, inherited 2000, p. 122). No fewer than 7 medi- lescidae, originated about 85 Mya ago, from their oligochaete ancestors. Ne- cally useful substances have already with the opening of the South Atlantic vertheless, in Erpobdella punctata, a been identified from the medical le- (Phillips and Siddall, 2005, p. 559). large proportion of the unprotected co- ech: hirudin, preventing coagulation Ringuelet (1981a, p. 192) lists Ichthyo- coons were destroyed by predators, of ingested blood, an anaesthesic, a bdlla (?) cichlae Diesing, 1850 for Rio primarily by snails (Sawyer, 1971, p. spreading factor, an anti-plasma, an de Janeiro, Brazil. However, Ichthyo- 202). The habit of cementing the pro- anti-trypsin, an anti-inflammatory, bdella De Blainville, 1827 is a sy- tective cocoon to a substrate of some and an anti-biotic (Sawyer et al., nonym of Piscicola De Blainville, 1818 sort appears to be the original state in 1982, p. 412). (Pinto, 1923, p. 902). This species is leech evolution, exibited in acanthob- In this paper I provide a catalogue of not listed in later revisions of Sawyer dellidans and branchiobdellidans, and the piscicolids, ozobranchids, and (1986) and Epshtein et al., 1994). Sin- retained in piscicolids and erpobdelli- arhynchobdellidans cited to date from ce the efforts of Ringuelet (1981a), no ds alike (Siddall and Burreson, 1996, the South American continent. The re- species inventories of the leeches and p. 282). The aquatic habits of the erpo- maining leeches of South America, their allies from South America have bdellids appear to represent a secon- belonging to the Glossiphoniidae, have been attempted. dary return to water. Those groups that been treated in another paper. Piscicolidae and Ozobranchidae form return to water retain some aspects of the sister group to the Arhynchobdelli- terrestrialism, particularly those invol- Material and methods da (Apakupakul et al., 1999, p. 356). ved in cocoon deposition and early The ozobranchids are distinguished by ontogeny. The terrestrial deposition of I have used 3-letter abbreviations for the presence of lateral digitiform bran- cocoons in Hirudinidae is interpreted South American countries (ARG, Ar- chiae (MacCallum and MacCallum, as a means to reduce the destruction of gentina; BOL, Bolivia; BRA, Brazil; 1918), being the only non-piscicolid the offspring by aquatic predators such CHI, Chile; COL, Colombia; ECU, leeches to live in the sea, but they are as snails, insect larvae, and fish (Kuts- Ecuador; FRG, French Guyana; PAR, unique in being permanent ectoparasi- chera and Wirtz, 2001, p. 132). Paraguay; PER, Peru; URU, Uruguay; tes of sea turtles (Sawyer, 1986, p. 700). A dominant feature of the South Ame- VEN, Venezuela) and 2-letter abbrevi- Among the arrhynchobdellidans, the rican leach fauna is the presence of ter- ations for sampled States in Brazil Erpobdellidae have long been used as restrial predacious forms, virtually la- (AM, Amazonas; ES, Espírito Santo; model organisms for ecological studi- cking in Africa. Semiscolex represents GO (Goiás); MG, Minas Gerais; PA, es and species interactions, and as in- a totally predaceous species (Sawyer, Pará; PB, Paraíba; RJ, Rio de Janeiro; dicators for freshwater toxicology (Si- 1986, p. 701). Erpobdellidae is a group RS, Rio Grande do Sul; SC, Santa Ca- ddall, 2002, p. 1). Their taxonomy is of non-sanguivorous macrophagous tarina; SP, São Paulo. 40 Volume 3 number 1 january - april 2008 039a048_Christoffersen.pmd 40 22/4/2008, 22:30 A Catalogue of the Piscicolidae, Ozobranchidae, and Arhynchobdellida (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) from South America Results Distribution. BRA (Pinto, 1923, p. Distribution. S. America (Cordero, 1011). 1937a, p. 16). ARG (Ringuelet, 1968, Species marked with an asterisk (*) are Further distribution. Arctic seas (Sa- p. 378). previously only reported from South wyer, 1986, p. 676). America. A systematic index is provi- Pontobdella Leach, 1915 ded in Appendix 1. Myzobdella Leidy, 1851 Type. Pontobdella muricata Linnaeus, Type: M. lugubris Leidy, 1851 1758 (= P. verrucosa Fleming, 1811) Order RHYNCHOBDELLIDA R. Syn: Illinobdella Meyer, 1940 Synonym. Albione Savigný, 1820 Blanchard, 1894 *M. platense (Cordero, 1933) *P. variegata Baird, 1859 PISCICOLIDAE Johnston, 1865 Original name. Piscicola platensis Distribution. ARG: Patagonia (Weber, Syn: Ichthyobdellidae Leuckart, 1863 Cordero, 1933. 1915, p. 21). Distribution. URU: Rio de la Plata, on Bathybdella Burreson, 1981 Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch) (Pisces) *P. zonata Apáthy, 1905 Type: B. sawyeri Burreson, 1981) (Cordero, 1933, p. 450); on fish (Rin- Distribution. CHI: