DNA barcoding for species delimitation of the freshwater leech genus Glossiphonia from the Western Balkan
Species delimitation study published in Biodiversity Data Journal (2021)
Abstract
Glossiphoniid leeches are a diverse group and sometimes abundant elements of the aquatic fauna inhabiting various types of freshwater habitats. In this study, we sampled leeches of the genus Glossiphonia from the Western Balkan in order to test the suitability of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) marker sequence for species delimitation. Morphological analysis revealed the presence of four taxa, G.complanata with two subspecies, G.c.complanata and G.c.maculosa, the latter an endemic of Ohrid Lake, G.nebulosa and endemic G.balcanica. In total, 29 new barcodes of Glossiphonia were sequenced in the course of this study and compared with the available molecular dataset of the latter genus from GenBank/BOLD databases. The applied ASAP distance-based species delimitation method for the analysed dataset revealed an interspecific threshold between 4-8% K2P distance as suitable for species identification purposes of the Western Balkan Glossiphonia species. Our study revealed that morphologically identified taxa as G.nebulosa and G.concolor each consists of more than one clearly different phylogenetic clade. This study contributes to a better knowledge of the taxonomy of glossiphoniid leeches and emphasises future work on the revision of this genus using a standard molecular COI marker in species identification.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
DNA barcoding of Glossiphonia in the Western Balkans reveals cryptic species diversity and refines species boundaries previously based on morphology alone.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This study applied DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial COI marker to leeches of the genus Glossiphonia from the Western Balkan region, sampling 29 new barcodes across four morphologically identified taxa. Distance-based species delimitation (ASAP) identified a 4–8% K2P interspecific threshold as suitable, and revealed that G. nebulosa and G. concolor each contain more than one distinct phylogenetic clade, suggesting cryptic diversity. For ASH, this work contributes to the taxonomy and molecular identification of glossiphoniid leeches, which is foundational for leech biodiversity research. However, this is a taxonomic and barcoding study with no investigation of anticoagulants, salivary secretions, therapeutic properties, or hirudotherapy. Its direct relevance to ASH's therapeutic and clinical domain is minimal.
Citation
DNA barcoding for species delimitation of the freshwater leech genus Glossiphonia from the Western Balkan.
Jovanović M et al. · Biodiversity data journal, 2021
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