What is the characteristics of leeches?

Leeches are segmented worms with suction cups at each end. Their bodies are flattened, much wider than they are thick. They are usually dark colored, often brown or sometimes black or dark green. Some species have no markings, others have spots and stripes.

What are the characteristics of class Hirudinea?

Leeches: Class Hirudinea.

Is a leech a Hirudinea?

leech, (subclass Hirudinea), any of about 650 species of segmented worms (phylum Annelida) characterized by a small sucker, which contains the mouth, at the anterior end of the body and a large sucker located at the posterior end.

What is the body structure of a leech?

Leeches are hermaphrodites. Their segmented body consists of head segments containing the anterior brain and the sucker, midbody segments with ganglia and reproductive organs and posterior segments that are fused together posterior to the sucker.

What are the adaptive features of leech?

Leeches have adapted a unique wave-like motion that they use to swim through the water and fish like northern pike and large mouth bass are often attracted by it. H. medicinalis also uses this characteristic motion to get around in the water quite elegantly.

What organisms are in Hirudinea?

leeches
The class Hirudinea in the phylum Annelida (segmented worms) comprises the leeches, the most highly specialized of the major annelid groups. Leeches are typically dorsoventrally flattened annelids with suckers at both ends and 34 body segments (designated I-XXXIV) which are externally divided into a number of annuli.

What is a leeches scientific name?

Hirudinea
Leech/Scientific names

How might you differentiate a leech Hirudinea from an aquatic earthworm Lumbricidae )?

leeches. Leeches are segmented, and thus annelids, and like earthworms they lack the parapodia found in polychaetes and possess a clitellum for reproduction. They differ from earthworms in that they are flatter and actually lack a complete coelomic cavity; which most annelids do have.

Are leeches intelligent?

The Giant leech pets feed on blood of mammals and are at least 1 year of age. The giant Dracula leeches are intelligent creatures and very lively and fun to maintain and look after. They have a mind of their own and a personality as well.

What happens if a leech enters your body?

The most common symptom of leech infestation is continuous bleeding from sites of attachment. It may cause serious complications like lethal dyspnoea, haemoptysis, epistaxis, haematemesis , anemia or even death (3, 4, 5).

How many suckers does a Hirudinea Leech have?

Leeches are characterized by 33 or 34 segments, no chaetae or septa, totally reduced parapodia, unpaired male and female genital openings in the region of the glandulose belt called the clitellum, two pairs of suckers, and other characteristics. Hirudinea are hermaphroditic.

What kind of body does a leech have?

Physical characteristics. Leeches have a clitellum, or specialized saddle-shaped glandular segment, that secretes cocoons or egg cases. These animals are simultaneous hermaphrodites. They have a body consisting of 34 body segments (somites) but lack the chaetae (stiff hairs or bristles) of other annelids.

Which is the best description of the Hirudinea?

Hirudinea 1 Introduction to Annelida and the Class Polychaeta. The Hirudinea, or true leeches, are highly specialized clitellates, separated from other annelid groups by the presence of an anterior circumoral sucker and 2 Worms, Annelida. 3 Clitellata. 4 ANNELIDA: EUHIRUDINEA AND ACANTHOBDELLIDAE.

Where are the epidermal sense organs located in a leech?

Different types of epidermal sense organs are scattered over the body. Most leeches have photoreceptor cells in pigment cups. Pigments cups are present along the dorsal surface of the anterior segments. Leeches are negatively phototactic. But the behavior of some leeches changes during searching of food.