Baicalobdella cottidarum Dogiel, 1957

Kaygorodova, Irina A., 2015, Annotated checklist of the leech species diversity in the Maloe More Strait of Lake Baikal, Russia, ZooKeys 545, pp. 37-52 : 44-45

Taxon classification Animalia Rhynchobdellea Piscicolidae

Baicalobdella cottidarum Dogiel, 1957

Trachelobdella torquata (part.): Epstein 1959; Trachelobdella torquata (part.): Epstein 1959; Trachelobdella torquata (part.): Kozhov 1962; Trachelobdella torquata (part.): Lukin 1963; Baicalobdella torquata (part.): Lukin 1976.

Geographic distribution.

Endemic to Lake Baikal.

Maloe More: Kurma Bay; Olkhon Gates Strait; Kharansa Bay.

Ecological characteristics.

This species inhabits the littoral zone of Lake Baikal (0-200 m). This species is less abundant in the Maloe More area than its sister species, Baicalodbella torquata . In contradistinction to Baicalodbella torquata , it parasitizes only Baikal cottoid fishes. Baicalobdella cottidarum can be found directly on a host or in a free-living state on the surface of benthic substrates.