IUBio

[Annelida] Aquafarming? [of leeches]: misidentification

Francis King via annelida%40net.bio.net (by yckingf from gmail.com)
Tue May 6 23:12:05 EST 2008


To All,

Thank you for your verification on type of leeches I posted in the
Annelid research blog by Dr. Serge Yu.Utevsky. I really appreciate the
contribution. I agree that the photo posted is not the Hirudo
Medicinalis species. One Malaysian University identify these Malaysian
locally aquafarm leeches is of Hirudinaria Manillensis ( the Buffalo
leech ). Today, I send some Malaysian aquafarm leeches of 3 different
characterised type for DNA analysis. Soonest the results is out, I
shall inform the analysis results for expert advice cause even this
research is new to the University. We have some DNA data of different
known species from extract of American & British researcher's
articles. We hope to match the DNA results with the available data on
hand to identify the actual species of the locally aquafarm leeches if
its the local Malaysian Buffalo Leech (Hirudinaria Manillensis) or the
Indian Cattle Leeches.

Frankly speaking, I am no expert in this field. I am only trying to
help Malaysian aquafarmers to develop some methods of commercially
viable ways to make use of those harvested leeches to good use. Other
parts of the world is facing shortage of leeches and declare certain
species to extinction but in Malaysia there are more and more people
starting aquafarming of these leeches explored by a promoting company
organising seminars (profiting millions in seminar fees) promoting
leech farming for profits, unfortunately most of this farmers ended up
having quarterly harvest with no demand for it. No doubt, the
promoting company does buy back some for oil extraction at low prices
but the quantity of leeches harvested from all farms in Malaysia is
alarmingly too much that could change the natural ecology balance.
Some of these farmers ask me to help them to sell their leeches
because they are stuck with those live stock that is still multipying.
I seek my local University to start research on leech properties, oil
extraction compounds for important commercial usage hoping to start a
program to make good use of those blown out proportion leeches from
the farms. I truely feel these farmers is in urgent need help now
facing blick futures with their leeches.

Should anyone be able to provide me with ideas and methods to put all
these leeches to good use, I welcome your suggestion, method and ideas
that could be most helpful to me and for the farmers too..

Thank you,

Francis King
UTAR Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6019-3569724


On 02/05/2008, Serge Utevsky <sutevsk from univer.kharkov.ua> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> The photo
>
> http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/annelida/attachments/20080428/55499f9d/clearphotoHM.jpg
>
> does NOT depict Hirudo medicinalis as suggested by the file name. The
> leech looks like Poecilobdella granulosa (Savigny, 1820). It has been
> recorded from the Indian subcontinent and adjacent areas of in South Asia.
>
> For futher information see:
>
> H. Nesemann & S. Sharma. 2001. Leeches of the suborder Hirudiniformes
> (Hirudinea: Haemopidae, Hirudinidae, Haemadipsidae) from the Ganga
> watershed (Nepal, India: Bihar). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. 103 B: 77-88.
>
> With best wishes,
> Serge
>
>
> --
> Dr. Serge Utevsky
> Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology
> V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University
> Pl. Svobody 4
> Kharkiv 61077
> UKRAINE
>
> E-mail: sutevsk from univer.kharkov.ua
>
> _______________________________________________
> Annelida mailing list
> Post: Annelida from net.bio.net
> Help/archive: http://www.bio.net/biomail/listinfo/annelida
> Resources: http://www.annelida.net
>



More information about the Annelida mailing list

Send comments to us at biosci-help [At] net.bio.net