Dear list members,
The parenting behaviors of Helobdella leech species described by Kutschera,
Govedich and others are indeed intriguing....to add to the list, note that
similar parenting behavior has been reported in species of Theromyzon - also a
glossiphoniid leech. In this genus, young are brooded by the parent and often
brought to their host (the nares of waterfowl) for their first blood meal.
Wilkialis J and Davies RW (1980) The reproductive biology of Theromyzon
tessulatum (Glossiphoniidae: Hirudinoidea), with comments on Theromyzon rude.
J. Zool., Lond. 192, 421-429.
Dan Shain, Rutgers University
Dear list members,
The leech genus Helobdella seems to be a cosmopolitan in space in time.
Two decades ago, exactly the same behavior has been observed and
described in Europe:
Kutschera U., Wirtz P. 1986: A leech that feeds its young. Anim. Behav.
34, 941-942
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