10 replies to this topic

[Michael Wolfe]

Hey guys, a fisherman co-worker found this last weekend. He has never seen a leech of this coloration. Any identification? Would this live in an aquarium. Would it be harmful to fish?  100_0144.jpg   332.82KB   5 downloads
On the not-pictured underside, there is a large suction disk, on what I assume is the tail end. I put him on my hand this morning, but he did not try to attach to me, rather just moved back into the water.

[Michael Wolfe]

Thanks, I looked up the genus name on the internet, and there was at least one study that seemed to indicate that a "turtle leech" species would also feed on snails. I have a tank with some bluefin killies and a lot of snails. Doesn't seem to me that this guy would grab onto a fish... maybe wipe out a few snails... but I got plenty of those...

I may toss him in the tank and see if he survives... it is certainly a great looking animal.

MWolfe

Looks like a Placobdella sp. also called a Turtle leech. It's a bit hard to ID these things without looking and mouth parts and suckers and stuff..But this would be the best fit on looks alone

If it is a turtle leech it is a parasite not recommended to keep in a fish tank. Some species are parasitic on fish but most are Reptile and amphibian feeders.

[littlen]

Michael,---I followed the link you attached from another post here.  Did you ever add that guy to your snail tank?  If so, how did it do on the war against snail?

On the topic of leeches, a lot come in with live blackworm cultures.  However they appear to be detritivores as I've never seen the MTSnail population decrease even with lots of the detrito-leeches living in the gravel.  

[Matt DeLaVega]

This does look just like the ones I find on snapping turtles.

[Michael Wolfe]

I didn't read this all I just remembered I had posted a picture... but to tell the story correctly...

 

I put him in a 6 gallon tank in my office at work (at the time) that housed one very mean, very old F. cingulatus.  They both survived quite fine on general office neglect and the live plants and live snails that were all over that little tank.  Yes we did see a mild introduction of the larger snails, but not really significant.  He was way cool and I would drop the next one I see in my "collecting to take home" bucket.

 

After about a year I left that job and actually left the aquarium with some folks there, so I don't have a longer term update.

[littlen]

10-4.  Thanks for the update.  Hadn't thought about keeping any of the turtle leeches as pets before.  And the incidentals that come in with blackworms aren't as big or neat as the one pictured above.  It is amusing to see them come out of the gravel like zombies when algae wafers are dropped in.

[gerald]

The small gray leeches that come with blackworms eat blackworms.  If you don't believe me try starving one for a few days and then drop in a blackworm.  I assume they'll scavenge dead animals too.

[littlen]

Never knew that.  Thanks for the tip.  However, large, hungry Cyprinella sp. make short work of said leeches!

[Betta132]

You don't want that big guy in your tank with fish. I've found them on turtles, and I imagine they'd probably grab most fish.

[Michael Wolfe]

You don't want that big guy in your tank with fish. I've found them on turtles, and I imagine they'd probably grab most fish.

 

Did you read the thread?  He was fine.  Attached to the acrylic tank sometimes, attached on and killed some snails. He was cool.