Batracobdella algira ( Moquin­Tandon, 1846 )

Ahmed, Raja Ben, Romdhane, Yasmina & Tekaya, Saïda, 2015, Checklist and Distribution of Marine and freshwater leeches (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) in Tunisia with identification key, Ecologica Montenegrina 2 (1), pp. 3-19 : 7

Batracobdella algira ( Moquin­Tandon, 1846)

( Fig. 2A)

Diagnosis: The body is dorsoventrally flattened. The dorsal surface is covered by papillae with three distinct longitudinal rows of larger papillae. The body colour is brown. The head bears two separate eyes. The caudal sucker is large. The genital pores are separated by two annuli and seven pairs of crop caeca are present.

Habitat: Eurytopic species, found in many freshwater environments (drainage basins, oueds, springs, marshes...). An ectoparasitic association with the toad Amietophrynus mauritanicus (Schlegel, 1841) was noted by Ben Ahmed et al. (2014).

Distribution:

This species was described from Algeria. Viguier (1879) attributed this leech to the genus Batracobdella . Seurat (1922) recorded it under the name Helobdella algira from Algeria and Tunisia but without citing localities. It has been collected from the skin of several Amphibian Anura species ( Discoglossus pictus, Pelopphylax ridibundus) and Urodeles ( Hydromantes genei ). Soỏs (1969) reported the following distribution: North Africa, Portugal, Spain, Balearic Islands, Corsica and the Crimean Peninsula. Minelli (1979) mentioned the same distribution, but added its presence in Sardinia. Nesemann & Neubert (1999) mentioned that this rare species is only known from North West Africa and from the western Mediterranean. They also noted that there are records from Morocco, Algeria, Portugal, Spain and Corsica. B. algira is widespread on the Iberian Peninsula, but not common.

In Tunisia ( Fig. 5E), B. algira was recorded by Blanchard (1908) under the name Helobdella algira in Jendouba governorate in the valley of El Lebga (Aïn Drahem). Ben Ahmed et al. (2008a) reported it from North East Tunisia in Nabeul governorate (Lebna drainage basin) and Ben Ahmed et al. (2008b) from Beja governorate (Aïn El Goussa, 36.44N, 9.11E). In the present study we add several new records for the country : Nabeul governorate: Port Prince drainage basin, 36.51162 N, 10.39404 E ; drainage basin Tebouda El Haouria, 37.3.0 N, 11.0.36E; Marsh sidi Ameur in El Haouria , 37.3.0 N, 11.0.33 E ; Bizerte governorate: Ichkeul , 37.11255N, 09.34953E ; Beja governorate: Aïn Zaga ( Nefza ), 36.58965N, 09.569329E ; Siliana governorate: Aïn Tejra ( Baten ezreyeb) 36.26N, 09.43E ; El kef governorate: Marsh Elkhalsa ( Sers ), 35.95437N, 09.17461E ; Kairouan governorate: El khadhra drainage basin, 36.1668N, 10.06214E ; and Aïn Rouissat , 35.47229 N, 09.51176 E ; Jendouba governorate: Marsh , 36.57N, 08.54E ); for the first time in the south of the country: Tozeur governorate: Chbika (37.1912N, 7.55588E) and Tamaghza (34.2248N, 7.570E) .