First record of a potentially introduced leech, Helobdella aff. robusta Shankland, Bissen & Weisblat, 1992 (Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae), in Japan

By

Kambayashi, Chiaki
Nakano, Takafumi

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-7-5

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

19

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

473--477

Subjects

COI , DNA barcoding , introduced species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/19.4.473

 

Abstract

Helobdella aff. robusta Shankland, Bissen & Weisblat, 1992 is recorded for the first time from Japan. The haplotype of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence of a specimen from Japan is identical to that of one collected in California, USA. The dorsal pigmentation pattern of the Japanese specimens is different from that of H. robusta inhabiting North America, but nonetheless, most of their morphological characteristics are con-sistent with the diagnostic features of this species. This species is considered to be of New World origin, and the Japanese population was likely established from a recent introduction.