Marine and estuarine piscicolid leeches (Hirudinea) of the Bay of Fundy and adjacent waters with a key to species

Abstract

The leeches (Hirudinea: Piscicolidae) Calliobdella vivida (Verrill, 1872), Malmiana brunnea (Johansson, 1896), M. scorpii (Malm, 1863), Oceanobdella sexoculata (Malm, 1863), Platybdella anarrhichae (Diesing, 1859), Myzobdella lugubris Leidy, 1851, Mysidobdella borealis (Johansson, 1899), and Oxytonostoma typica Malm, 1863 are reported from the Bay of Fundy region. Extensions of northern ranges are given for C. vivida and M. lugubris from the inner Bay of Fundy. Oxytonostoma typica is reported for the first time from Raja senta and R. erinacea. Anarhichus lupus, Acipenser oxyrhynchus, Clupea harengus, and Alosa sapidissima are new hosts for C. vivida. Additional data on morphology, pigmentation pattern, and prevalence are given for O. typica, O. sexoculata, M. scorpii, and P. anarrhichae. A key to marine and estuarine leeches presently known from the Bay of Fundy and adjacent waters is given.