[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Leeches
- To: live-foods at actwin_com
- Subject: Re: Leeches
- From: "David W. Webb" <dwebb at ti_com>
- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 18:00:19 -0600
- Conversation-Id: <l03110700b0ca7da75a43@[207.12.0.105]>
- In-Reply-To: <l03110700b0ca7da75a43@[207.12.0.105]>
From: "Mach T. Fukada" <fukada at hawaii_edu>
I am not sure that planaria are harmless. I have been hearing that they can
and will eat fish eggs. So they might be a problem in a planted tank where
you expect fishes to breed un attended. They are a real pain when the get
into you water incubation set up and you didn't notice them untill all you
eggs don't seem to be hatching.
MTF
>Hi All, The things you are describing as leeches may not be leeches. I
>suspect that they may be Planaria which also are found in habitats with
>lots of organic material. You should be able to tell leeches from
>Planaria (a flatworm). Planaria usually have a triangular shaped head
>with 2 pale eye spots. The body is usually black, never segmented, and
>doesn't possess suckers at one end. True leeches are also often black,
>but they are always segmented since they belong to the annelid worm
>phylum. Leeches always have at least one sucker to attach to a host.
>Look to see if the critter is holding onto the substrate with its
>suckers. If so, It's a leech. Planaria are detritus feeders and
>shouldn't harm anything- think of them as more snails. Leeches are
>typically external parasites sometimes on fishes. Leeches can transmit
>protozoan diseases (Cryptobia) from one fish to another. Probablly not
>good for kilies. See yoy later. Nevin
Mach T. Fukada, Web Master
fukada at hawaii_edu
Honolulu Aquarium Society
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2948/HASF.html