Theromyzon tessulatum ( Mueller , 1774)

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 : 43

Taxon classification Animalia Rhynchobdellea Glossiphoniidae

Theromyzon tessulatum ( Mueller, 1774)

Hirudo tessulata : Müller 1774; Hirudo tesselata : Bosc 1802; Nephelis tesselata : Savigny 1822; Erpobdella tesselata : Fleming 1822; Ichthyobdella tesselata : Blainville 1828; Erpobdella vulgaris var. tesselatum : Blainville 1828; Clepsine tessulata : Müller 1844; Glossiphonia tessulata : Maquin-Tandon 1846; Glossiphonia aecheana : Thompson 1846; Hirudo vitrina : Dalyell 1853; Glossiphonia vitrina : Johnston 1865; Theromyzon tessulatum : Philippi 1867; Hemiclepsis tesselata : Vejdovsky 1883; Glossiphonia tesselata : Blanchard 1892; Protoclepsis tesselata : Livanow 1902.

Geographic distribution.

Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. A closely related taxon Protoclepsis tesselatoides Livanow, 1902 was synonymised in Theromyzom tessulatum ( Lukin 1976). This pooling into the nominate species is still doubtful.

Maloe More: Lake Zunduk, Lake Zama.

Ecological characteristics.

This is a widespread but rare species. It can be found in warm bays of Baikal and adjacent freshwater reservoirs. It prefers stagnant water. Feeds on the blood of vertebrates. Most likely hosts might be fishes, water birds or amphibians.