A new species of medicinal leech in the genus Hirudo Linnaeus, 1758 (Hirudiniformes, Hirudinidae) from Tianjin City, China
Research article published in ZooKeys (2022)
Abstract
Medicinal leeches in the genus Hirudo have been utilized for therapeutic procedures for thousands of years. To date, six known species of Hirudo are widely distributed in different regions of the Eurasian continent. In this study, a new medicinal leech species Hirudotianjinensis Liu, sp. nov. is described based upon specimens collected from Tianjin City, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters: blackish green dorsum with five continuous yellow longitudinal stripes; six sensillae on dorsal annulus a2 of segments VIII-XXV; greyish green ventrum with irregular bilateral dark brown spots; dorsum and abdomen separated by a pair of pale yellow stripes; front half atrium wrapped by white prostate; apparent albumen gland; epididymis massive in relation to ejaculatory bulb. The phylogenetic tree based upon COI implies a sister relationship to H.nipponia Whitman, 1886. A key to the known species is provided.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Peer-reviewed research on genomics, proteomics, and molecular biology relevant to leech biology and salivary compounds. Indexed in PubMed and verified against the NCBI record.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This taxonomic study describes Hirudo tianjinensis sp. nov., a new medicinal leech in the genus Hirudo collected from Tianjin City, China, distinguished from related species by external coloration, sensilla arrangement, and reproductive anatomy, with COI phylogenetics placing it as a sister species to H. nipponia. For hirudotherapy it is foundational rather than clinical: the genus Hirudo is the source of the medicinal leeches and their bioactive saliva, so confirming that the genus is broader and more regionally diverse than the previously recognized species matters for correctly identifying therapeutic stock and understanding the natural variation behind the leech secretome. The honest caveat is that this is a species-description (systematics) paper with no therapeutic data whatsoever — it neither tests nor implies any clinical use of the new species, and a newly described leech is not a validated medicinal product.
Citation
A new species of medicinal leech in the genus Hirudo Linnaeus, 1758 (Hirudiniformes, Hirudinidae) from Tianjin City, China.
Wang et al. · ZooKeys, 2022
Added to ASH library: May 28, 2026 · Site last updated: June 18, 2026