Species Diversity of Terrestrial Predatory Leeches in Asia

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26840127
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University (2015-2016); Kyoto University (2014)
• Principal Investigator: Nakano Takafumi 広島大学, 教育学研究科, 特別研究員(PD) (50723665)
• Research Collaborator: Nishikawa Kanto 京都大学, 大学院人間・環境学研究科, 准教授 (10335292) ; Dujsebayeva Tatjana カザフスタン教育科学省, 動物学研究所, 上席研究員 ; Jeratthitikul Ekgachai マヒドン大学, 理学部, 講師 ; Lai Yi-Te 国立台湾大学, 生命科学研究院, 研究員 ; Meyer-Rochow Victor Benno 八丈島地熱館, 発光生物研究所, 上席研究員 ; Nguyen Son Truong ベトナム科学技術院, 生態生物資源研究所, 研究員 ; Nguyen Tao Thien ベトナム科学技術院, ベトナム国立自然博物館, 研究員 ; Panha Somsak チュラーロンコーン大学, 理学部, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 東アジア / 東南アジア / ヒル類 / 新種 / 再検討 / 胃通管

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The terrestrial macrophagous orobdellid leeches, and gastrostomobdellid species have been known from East Asia, and Southeast Asia, respectively. Based on the newly collected Orobdella specimens from Japan, 7 nominal taxa have been described as new species under the genus. The phylogenetic analyses based on the 18 known Orobdella species revealed that character states of each of the mid-body somite annulation and body size of mature leeches have evolved in parallel within this group. Additionally, it was unveiled that the Orobdella gastroporal duct is an accessory copulatory organ that receives a spermatophore during copulation. The species diversity of the gastrostomobdellid leeches remains unclear. But the type specimens of the known Southeast Asian predatory species and newly collected specimens from Thailand and Borneo highlighted that the systematic status of the family Gastrostomobdellidae should be revisited.

Free Research Field

動物系統分類学