ABSTRACT
The presence of the marine leech, Stibarobdella loricata (Harding, 1924) (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae), is reported on the southern coast of Brazil, based on seven lots with 47 specimens, between 71 and 182 mm in total length, collected on the dorsal region of angel sharks, Squatina argentina (Marini, 1930); S. guggenheim Marini, 1936; S. punctata Marini, 1936 (Chondrichthyes, Squatinidae); and on the head of a sandtiger shark, Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes, Carchariidae). This is the first record of S. loricata in the western Atlantic and of its parasitic association with S. argentina, S. guggenheim, S. punctata, and C. taurus.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Leeches , Sharks , Brazil , SeawaterABSTRACT
The presence of the sea leech, Stibarobdella macrothela (Schmarda, 1861) (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae), is marked in the south coast of Brazil, based on the single specimen with 67 mm (CT), collected in the intergill ventral region of a whaler shark, Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1870) (Chondrichtyes, Carcharhinidae), adult male with about 2 m (CT), being treated of the first registrations of S. macrothela in the Southwest Atlantic and the parasitic association with C. brachyurus