The marine leech Stibarobdella moorei (Oka, 1910) (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) parasitic on the thornback ray Raja clavata Linnaeus, 1758 and angelshark Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758) in Antalya Bay, Mediterranean Sea of Turkey

Abstract

Abstract The marine leech, Stibarobdella moorei was collected from dorsal parts of the thornback ray (Raja clavata) and angelshark (Squatina squatina) (Elasmobranchii) captured by commercial trawl vessels as non-target species from depth of 50 meters of Antalya Bay which is located in the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey on April and July, 2013. The leeches caused two typical lesions on epidermal tissues of both hosts: the major lesion by oral sucker and a minor one by caudal sucker. The leeches were identified as Stibarobdella moorei which has not been reported from elasmobranches in the Turkey’s Mediterranean shores. This study represents new host and geographical records.