A new marine fish leech species of the genus Oceanobdella (Clitellata, Piscicolidae) from coastal waters of Sakhalin Island

Abstract

AbstractA new species of marine fish leeches is described and compared with its congeners. Oceanobdella sakhalinica possesses a unique combination of characters: the anterior sucker is small; one of posterior transverse bands on the urosome is very dark; a wedge-shaped patch is located on the posterior sucker; posterior crop caeca are separate for their entire length; accessory glands on the atrium are lacking; five pairs of testisacs are present; the copulatory area and the conductive tissue are lacking. Hosts include a sculpin Myoxocephalus sp. and the blackline prickleback Acantholumpenus mackayi. The leeches were collected in Aniva Bay, southern Sakhalin.