Annotations on marine and freshwater leeches (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) from North Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide information on the leech fauna of North Africa. This overview is based primarily on collected material, data from the literature and material in museum collections. A total of 37 species belonging to 6 families and 19 genera are presently known. Among these species, eight represent new records for North African countries. This report includes the first records for Tunisia of one freshwater leech, Helobdella stagnalis (Linneaus, 1758), and one marine leech, Trachelobdella lubrica (Grube, 1840). Four taxa are reported as new for Algeria: two marine species (Pontobdella muricata Linnaeus, 1758 and Branchellion torpedinis Savigny, 1822) and two freshwater subspecies (Dina punctata punctata Johansson, 1927 and Dina punctata maroccana Nesemann & Neubert, 1994). Pontobdella muricata is reported for the first time from Morocco and Alboglossiphonia iberica Jueg, 2008, previously known only from the Iberian Peninsula, is now reported from Morocco.