First North American record of the marine leech Notostomum laeve (Annelida: Hirudinea).
The Arctic marine leech Notostomum laeve is reported for the first time from North America. A single, small specimen was collected in April 1990 on the external surface of 1 of 30 Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides from Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Total length of the specimen including suckers is 41 mm; maximum body width is 1.8 mm. The species is easily identified by the unusual suckers. The caudal sucker is divided into 2 lateral halves that appear to close somewhat like a clam shell; the oral sucker is very thick and muscular with a row of small, hard teeth-like papillae around the outer margin. On the basis of this report from northern Canada, N. laeve probably has a circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean.
Burreson
E M
EM
School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point 23062.
Arthur
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005399:Fishes; D007865:Leeches / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D015873:Northwest Territories; D012623:Seawater