Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Stibarobdella macrothela (Schmarda, 1861)
These are parasitic leeches typically on sharks and rays. After loading up with blood from their host, they drop off and spend some time digesting the meal.
To feed again, they need to latch onto another host. All the specimens figured were found on lagoon or seaward reefs at Kwajalein Atoll and were in-between hosts. They were all seen on the bottom under rocks or in rubble.
The spectrum of the fish hosts include:
Ginglymostoma cirratum, Carcharhinus falciformis, Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus obscurus, Carcharhinus springeri (= Carcharhinus perezi), Carcharhinus longimanus, Negaprion brevirostris, Galeocerdo cuvier, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna tudes, guitarfish (Rhinobatidae) and
Paralichthys dentatus (= Chaenopsetta ocellaris)
The distribution is large, from circunglobal tropical waters.
Synonymised names:
Pontobdella bimaculata Oka, 1910 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Pontobdella tasmanica Hickman, 1946 · unaccepted (subjective synonym, replacement...)
Pontobdella verrucosa Hickman, 1942 · unaccepted > junior homonym (replaced (by P tasmanica) junior...)
Stibarobdella bimaculata (Oka, 1910) · unaccepted (Synonym)
Stibarobdella dispar (Cordero, 1937) · uncertain > nomen dubium (synonym)
Stibarobdella macrothela (Schmarda, 1861) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination)
Stibarobdella tasmanica (Hickman, 1942) · unaccepted (synonym)
These are parasitic leeches typically on sharks and rays. After loading up with blood from their host, they drop off and spend some time digesting the meal.
To feed again, they need to latch onto another host. All the specimens figured were found on lagoon or seaward reefs at Kwajalein Atoll and were in-between hosts. They were all seen on the bottom under rocks or in rubble.
The spectrum of the fish hosts include:
Ginglymostoma cirratum, Carcharhinus falciformis, Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus obscurus, Carcharhinus springeri (= Carcharhinus perezi), Carcharhinus longimanus, Negaprion brevirostris, Galeocerdo cuvier, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna tudes, guitarfish (Rhinobatidae) and
Paralichthys dentatus (= Chaenopsetta ocellaris)
The distribution is large, from circunglobal tropical waters.
Synonymised names:
Pontobdella bimaculata Oka, 1910 · unaccepted (subjective synonym)
Pontobdella tasmanica Hickman, 1946 · unaccepted (subjective synonym, replacement...)
Pontobdella verrucosa Hickman, 1942 · unaccepted > junior homonym (replaced (by P tasmanica) junior...)
Stibarobdella bimaculata (Oka, 1910) · unaccepted (Synonym)
Stibarobdella dispar (Cordero, 1937) · uncertain > nomen dubium (synonym)
Stibarobdella macrothela (Schmarda, 1861) · unaccepted > superseded combination (superseded subsequent combination)
Stibarobdella tasmanica (Hickman, 1942) · unaccepted (synonym)
