Phylogenetic and morphological resolution of the Helobdella stagnalis species-complex (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinea)
Research article published in Zootaxa (2018)
Abstract
The glossiphoniid freshwater leech, Helobdella stagnalis, was described by Linnaeus 1758 based on common European specimens. The presence of a brown, chitinous scute on the dorsal-anterior surface, as observed on leeches elsewhere in the world, has generally led to the classification of all scute-bearing members of the genus as H. stagnalis. Here we describe the morphology and behavior of the type species from Europe, and analyze H. stagnalis-like specimens collected worldwide. We present evidence for at least four distinct scute-bearing Helobdella species that can be morphologically resolved. Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses at the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) locus further supported this notion, with divergence values suggesting a mid-Miocene ancestor of this successful group of cosmopolitan hirudineans. New species, Helobdella echoensis nov. sp., Helobdella eriensis nov. sp., and Helobdella serendipitious nov. sp., are described, based on morphological, anatomical and molecular data. Current distribution patterns of Helobdella spp. suggest a robust, global dispersal mechanism, as well as local pockets of endemism.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Zusammenfassung
Phylogenetic and morphological resolution of the Helobdella stagnalis species-complex (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinea).
Warum dies für die Hirudotherapie relevant ist
This study focused on resolving the taxonomy and morphology of the Helobdella stagnalis species-complex, a group of freshwater leeches. By analyzing morphological, anatomical, and molecular data using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) locus sequences, the researchers identified at least four distinct scute-bearing species and described three new species. While it provides valuable phylogenetic clarification and insight into the global dispersal of these aquatic leeches, the study lacks any clinical or biochemical focus. It is purely a taxonomic and morphological review, offering no relevance to hirudotherapy, the therapeutic leech secretome, or human medical applications.
Zitation
Phylogenetic and morphological resolution of the Helobdella stagnalis species-complex (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinea)
Saglam N et al. · Zootaxa, 2018
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