Class Hirudinomorpha
-Clitellate taxon includes tiny Branchiobdellids
(Branchiobdellida), which cling and creep over
the exoskeleton of crustaceans and leeches
(Hirudinea). Leeches are common in
freshwaters and can occur in moist land.
-ALL hirudinomorphs have a terminal or
posterior sucker that adheres to host or the
substratum and a dorsal anus located in front of
the sucker. The re-positioning of the ancestral
anus from terminal to dorsal is related to the
origin of the sucker specialization of the
posteriormost segment as well as the pygidium.
-Branchiobdellids and especially a leech called
Acanthobdella peledina, are important in the
Hirudinomorph evolution.
Euhirudinea
-marine, freshwater, terrestrial worms
commonly known as leeches.
-popularly considered to be bloodsuckers, but
many are non-bloodsucking carnivores.
-leeches share clitellate traits with Oligochaeta.
-leeches never as small as
polychates/oligochaets.
-Giant Haementeria ghiliani
-few tolerate rapid currents,
most prefer shallow environment
FORM and FUNCTION
-body typically dorsoventrally flattened and
frequently tapered at the anterior end.
- Segments at both extremities have been
modified to form suckers.
-Anterior sucker is usually smaller than the
posterior and frequently surrounds the mouth,
-Posterior sucker is disc shaped and turned
ventrally
-Segmentation is very much reduced
-Unlike other annelids, leeches have fixed
number of 33 segments, but secondary
superficial annulations externally mask the
segmentation
-Chetae is ABSENT.
-Head consist of reduced prostomium plus 5
segments. (1-5)
Dorsally, head bears several ocelli, and ventrally
modified to form the anterior sucker
surrounding the mouth.
-Trunk, encompasses the preclitellar region,
clitellum and postclitellar region consist of 21
segments. (6-26)
-Behind the trunk is large, ventral posterior
sucker derived from 7 segments (27-33)
-The number of annulation per segment varies
not only in different regions but also in
defferent species.
NERVOUS SYSTEN and SENSE ORGANS
-similar to other annelids but anterior and
posterior ganglia are concentrated into masses
because of segmental modifications forming the
suckers.
-the brain, located in segment 5, consist of
paired subpharyngeal gangliea (original paired
ganglia of prostomium + peristomium).
-ventrally, first 4 pairs of gangliea (2-5) are
fused to form subpharyngeal ganglion.
-entire nervous system enclosed in the unpaired
ventral coelomic channel.
-some Rhynchobdellid leeches can change color
dramatically as a result of pigment movement in
large specialized cells called chromatophores
under neural control
-sensory papillae small projecting discs
arranged in a dorsal row or in a complete ring
around 1 annulation of each segment,
-Despite lack of highly organized organs,
leeches can detect low levels of many types of
stimuli.
BODY WALL, COELOM, HEMAL SYSTEM,
LOCOMOTION
-consist of cuticle and epidermis
-UNLIKE polychaetes and oligochaetes, Fibrous
connective tissue beneath the epidermis is very
thick.
-dorsoventral muscles also present
-Leeches LACK paired segmental coeloms that
typify other annelids. (Acanthobdella peledina is
the only exception)
-Much of coelomic mesothelium is specialized as
large nutrient-storage cells called Chlorogogen
tissue in rhynchobdellids and bortyroidal
tissue in archynchobdellids.
-LOSS of septa, chatae, and segmented coelomic
cavities
GAS EXCHANGE
-Gills occur only in Piscicolidae (fish leeches)
-General body surface procide gas exchange for
other leeches
-Piscicolid gills are latral leaf like or branching
outgrwths of the body wall.
-Respiratory pigment, hemoglobin, found only
in arhynchhobdellid leeches.
EXCRETORY SYSTEM
-10-17 pairs of Metanephredia: 1 pair per
segment
-Main duct typically expands into a urinary
bladder, before opening to exterior.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND NUTRITION
-either a protrusible pharynx (called Proboscis)
or a nonprotrusible sucking pharynx with or
without jaws.
-Tubular pharynx (rhnchobdellida) joins the
ventral mouth by a short narrow canal.
_pharynx is highly muscular and has triangular
lumen and lined with cuticle
-When feeding, animal protrudes the pharynx
from the mouth forcing it into the tissue of the
host.
-immediately witin mouth cavity, of most
species are 3 large oval bladelike jaws, each
bearing many small teeth along the free edge,
arranged in a triangle, 1 dorsally and 2
laterally.
-Jaws swing toward and away from each other,
activated by muscles attached to their bases.
-Salivary glands secrete an anticoagulant called
hirudin,
-All leeches are carnivores or bloodsucking
ectoparasites.
-leech digestion is peculiar: gut secretes no
amylase, lipase, or endopeptidase
-presence of only exopeptidase explains the
fact that digestion in bloodsucking leeches is so
slow.
REPRODUCTION
-Leeches NOT produce asexually NOR can they
regenerate lost parts.
-Hermaphrodites
-Protandric, not simultaneous. Testes matures
before ovary
-accessory reproductive organs are
incorporated into the sperm ducts and
oviducts unlike in oligo, separate sem vesicle
and receptacle.
-INTERNAL fertilization
-hypordermic impregnation
-following liberation and spermatophore,
sperm migrate to the ovisacs via coelomic
channels or use a tissue pathway called target
tissue, specialized to receive spermatophore
and conduct sperm
DIVERSITY OF HIRUDINOMORPHA
BRANCHIOBDELLIDA
-ectommensals/ ectoparasites oon crayfishes
or crabs
-Chatae, prostomium, and pygidium usually are
absent
-body has 15 segments, the last forming a
sucker
-head (peristomium plus 3 segments) is
modifies into a sucker with the mouth at its
center
-zygotes deposited in cocoons attached to host
-embryos develop into cryptolarvae as in
archychobdellid leeches.
HIRUDINEA
-sister taxon of Branchobdellida
-typcical leeches including Euhirudinea with A
and P suckers
-all have diagonal (crossed helical) body wall
muscle and a sperm storage that does not
include seminal receptacles
Acantobdellida peledina
-sole species in taxon
-sister taxon of Euhirudinea
-ectoparasitic
-lacks anterior sucker, instead attaches its oral
end to the host with hooked chatae borne on
the first 5 segments. (seg 2-6 prostomium and
peri absent)
-Unique among leeches as having chatae,
segmental coelomic cavities and septa
- despite primitive arrangement of coelomic
cavities and absence of anterior sucker, still
moves in inchworm fashion and does not use
peristalsis.
-posterior sucker consists of terminal 4
segments
Euhirudinea
-Sister taxon of Acantobdellida peledina
-350 species of true leeches with A and P
suckers
- Body composed of prostomium plus 33
segments
Posterior sucker of 7 segements (27-33)
Chatae absent
Segmental coeloms lack septa and mesenteries
gave transformed into circulatory channels
Rhynchobdellida
-aquatic leeches with protrusible muscular
pharynx
-with coelomic and hemal system
-feed by protruding pharynx
-some such as Glossiphonia and Helobdella
(Glossosiphoniidae F), feed only on
invertebrates
Fish leeches (Piscicolidae F) parasitized both
freshwater and marine fish
Order Arhynchobdellida
Haemopsis terrestris
Haemapdisa
Phytobdella

Suorder Gnathobdelliformes
-chiefly aquatic blood-suckers
-The aquatic Hirudo medicinalis (Hirudinidae
F) is the best known leech
Aeromonas hydrophila
Haemopsis
Macrobdella
Philobdella

Suborder Pharyngobdelliformes
-Erpobdella
Dina