First record of Stibarobdella moorei (Annelida, Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) a marine leech parasitizing Octopus bimaculatus (Mollusca: Octopodidae) from the Mexican Pacific coast

• Main Authors: López-Peraza D. J., Hernández-Rodríguez M., Barón-Sevilla B., Bückle-Ramírez L. F., Grano-Maldonado M. I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2017-12-01
• Series: Helminthologia
• Subjects: ectoparasite; mexico; octopus bimaculatus; piscicolidae; stibarobdella moorei
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/helm-2017-0044
• ISSN: 0440-6605; 1336-9083

The occurrence of the parasitic marine leech Stibarobdella moorei (Oka, 1910) (Hirudinea: Piscicolidae) along the northwest Mexican Pacific coast is described for the first time. This ectoparasite was collected from the skin of the Octopus bimaculatus (Verril, 1983) (Mollusca: Octopodidae). Stibarobdella loricata (Hardig, 1924) is synonymized with S. moorei as this species resembles other species of the genus based on tubercle patterns and the presence of papillae and a marginal fringe on the oral sucker. The present finding throws new light on the biodiversity and host preference of the ectoparasite and suggests a successful migration to unusual host. The coast of the Pacific Ocean, particularly in the Bay of Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico is a new geographical distribution area for S. moorei, and O. bimaculatus is a new host reported for this leech. The morphology of this ectoparasite is briefly described.