title: Praobdellidae (Hirudinida: Arhynchobdellida) is not specific only to the mucous-membrane after all: Discovery of a praobdellid leech feeding on the Japanese freshwater crab Geothelphusa dehaani.
abstract: Praobdellid leech species have been known to infest vertebrate mucous-membrane; some of them have been assumed to be invertebrate bloodsuckers. Praobdellid individuals were found feeding on the Japanese freshwater crab, Geothelphusa dehaani, at Mt. Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The leech had inserted its head into the intersegmental membrane between the crab's carapace and legs. Our findings represent a first invertebrate host record for praobdellid leeches. Additionally, molecular phylogenetic trees based on nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and 12S rRNA sequences as well as the leech morphological characteristics showed that the present leech might belong to an unrecognized praobdellid lineage: a taxonomic revision of the Japanese praobdellid species is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science Education, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8524, Japan. Electronic address: tnakano@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Science Education, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739-8524, Japan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakono
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003386:Brachyura / Q000469:parasitology*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology; D007564:Japan; D007865:Leeches / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Hirudiniformes; Japan; Molecular phylogeny; Unidentified species