Odier, 1823
Type species Branchiobdella astaci Odier, 1823
Number of species 17. In NWE, six species:
Branchiobdella astaci Odier, 1823
Branchiobdella balcanica Moszynski, 1937
Branchiobdella hexodonta Gruber, 1883
Branchiobdella italica Canegallo, 1929
Branchiobdella parasita (Braun, 1805)
Branchiobdella pentodonta Whitman, 1882
Description
Small leech-shaped but unpigmented worms, without prostomium or chaetae. Anteriormost four segments fused to form head. Posterior end is modified as sucker-like adhesive disk; ventral edge of mouth also acting as adhesive organ. No peristomial tentacles. Two chitinized jaws (upper and lower) in mouth. One pair of testes in the fifth trunk segment, unpaired atrium in the sixth trunk segment. Penis eversible, with cuticular cover. Differing from the other genera of the family in having one single pair of testes (instead of two pairs). Several other genera display also different body shapes, as heavily flattened (in Xironogiton), bearing different tentacles and trunk appendages etc.
Crawling like leech on the body of crayfish.
Distribution
Europe and East Asia.
Ecology
In freshwater, living as commensals or/and parasites on the body surface and gills of crayfishes.
Reproduction
Sexual only. Eggs laid in cocoons attached with one end to body of crayfish.
Literature
Odier, 1823: 75; Henle, 1835: 574-608; Goodnight, 1940: 28; Chekanovskaya, 1981: 473; Kasprzak, 1981: 213; Holt, 1986: 685-686.