Sengupta, M. and Dalwani, R. (Editors). 2008 Proceedings of Taal 2007: The 12th World Lake Conference: 1831-1839 Distribution of Leech Faunal Diversity in Freshwater Wetlands of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu C. K. Mandal and N. C. Nandi Zoological survey of India, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata-700016, India

ABSTRACT During the course of leech faunal resources survey in West Bengal and Tami Nadu, a total of 27 species of leeches belonging to 13 genera and 4 families have been recorded from freshwater wetland ecosystems. Of these, 22 species under 13 genera and 4 families were recorded from various palustrine and lacustrine wetlands of West Bengal, while in all 12 species of freshwater leeches under 9 genera and 3 families were encountered mostly from lacustrine wetlands of Tamil Nadu. From West Bengal nine lakes were thoroughly surveyed of which highest diversity of 10 species of leeches were recorded in Lal Bubdh of Murshidabad district, while among the 4 lacustrine wetland of Tamil Nadu, Ooty harbours six freshwater leech species. Altitudinal distribution of these leech species reveals that only 2 out of 12 species of freshwater leecheswere collected from higher elevation of Tamil Nadu.

Distribution and diversity of leech fauna from this two states suggests that higher diversity of leech species prefer stagnant eutrophic waters and diversified macrophytic vegetation dominated by water hyacinth. The occurrence of higher diversity of nine high altitude leech species in Tamil Nadu over two leech species in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal may be due to greater elevation and fewer fresh water bodies in the Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal. Keywords: Leech, Faunal diversity, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Ponds, Lakes

INTRODUCTION Leeches (Hirudinea) are predatory parasitic annelids with terminal suckers serving in attachment, locomotion and feeding. They are closely related to the oligochaeta and reasonable the epizoic Branchiobdellidae in possession of suckers, median genital orifice and analogous jaws in the absence of setae (Moore, 1959). They are recognized as a very important macro invertebrate group of versatile habits and habitats and since the time immemorial they are playing significant role for the existence of human beings in this planet. They are characteristically modified for procuring and digesting their peculiar food, which consists typically of blood and other animal juices but also of smaller annelids, snails, insect larvae and organic ooze. They are both terrestrial and aquatic. Aquatic species are found in freshwater, brackish and marine water. Ponds, lakes, streams, paddy fields are their favourite fresh water habitats. Leeches are found sometimes attached with the animal body surface and sometimes with the plants. Lower leaf of plant, stem and root of the floating plants are the favourite resting sites of leeches. Marine and brackishwater leeches usually remain attached at the ventral region of the animals, (Harding and Moore, 1927). In West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, water hyacinth, valisnaria, lotus and grasses etc. are the main aquatic plants. Ducks and divers are the enemies of fresh water leeches. They are swallowed by the enemies at the attached condition with the molluscs and insects, (Ghosh, 1998 and Mandal, 2004).

Up till now leech fauna is represented by 63 species from Indian region. During the present work I have the privilege to project 27 species of leeches (Hirudinea) under 13 genera and 4 families from palustrine and lacustrine wetlands of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.Throughout the world, more than 545 species of leeches are sustaining. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection have been made from, ponds, lakes, sewage fed fishery, reservoir fisheries, are the faunal resources of leeches. Leeches are also abundant in wetland vegetations. These vegetations are of different types such as Free floating- Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna perpusilla, Pistia stratioites, Spirodela polyrhiza, Spirodela punctata etc. submerged hydrophytes- Ottelia alismoides, Ruppia maritima, Utricularia australis, Vallisneria natans, Hydrilla verticillata, Aponogeton appendiculatus etc. submerged and aerial emerging leaves are- Lymnophila aquatica, Lymnophila indica, Myriophyllum tuberculatum etc. emergent hydrophytes- are Aeschynomene aspera, Lymnophyton obtusifolium, Monochoria hastata, Sagittaria sagittifolia etc. and floating leaved and stem hydrophytes- Aporogeton echinatus, Caldes sp., Nelumbo nucifera, Nelumbo pubescens, Nymphae nouchali etc. Collection spots are maidan, metro station side pond, ballygunge Science college associated pond, rabindra sarobar, ruby hospital side lake, pond near birati, ultadanga, in Kolkata; hibpur botanical garden associated lake, bankra roadside

pond, uluberia road side pond at Howrah; sithi palashi grassland and pond, lenin nagar pond, bhareswar station road side pond at Hughly; mechagram bus stoppage associated pond, horsondighi, digha at Midnapur; kochi pukur near town, golsi road side pond at Burdwan; karkaria beel, tarapith, siuri road side pond at Birbhum; acharyapara bandh, sonamukhi, sayar bandh, police station side pond, dasher bandh at Bunkura; gosai bandh, manbazar, magosai bandh, saheb bandh, barik bandh, raghunathpur at Purulia; harasundari pond, vojerhat, bhumror beel, bhangar, chulkunir beel, ghatakpukur, harsandighi, bamanghata South 24 Parganas; kalikapur field associated pond, uttarbeel, sonapukur, singher pukur, madhyamgram, barasat road side pond, morogkhola pond, bethuadahari forest associated pond, petnipukur, Nadia, piasbari nursery pond, sagardighi, asokpally pond, rajgunge, pond near ramkeli at Malda; lal dighi, baharampur, mandunir beel, kandi at Murshidabad; karandighi at North Dinajpur, kalimpong, mirik lake, Darjeeling town side hill, neora valley at Darjeeling; raja dighi, Jalpaiguri townside pond at Jalpaiguri; mathabhanga college associated pond, chandandighi at Coohbehar.

The bulk of the materials dealt with the present materials were collected by me during 5 years (2000-2005) taking personal endeavour in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. All the material so collected has been deposited in the national zoological collection (N.Z.C.) of India at the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta. The rest of the materials including the “types” have been selected from the extensive collection present at the N.Z.C. of India.

The field observations and collections were made during all the seasons of year. In course of survey almost all niches are taken into consideration to find out the leech individuals occurring in the habitat/ecosystem. A sampler is used to collect the specimens. A net hangs from a quadrangular body, made of still. Each arms of the structure is 30cm. and a handle of still is attached in the middle of one arm of the quadrangular structure. In the case of free-living species five sites from a selected ecosystem (water body) are taken into consideration to note the number of leeches occurring in the system. From each site/station an area of 30cm. square, has been selected at random and the number of leeches occurring there, are counted. The mean of such five readings are considered for actual population density per 30cm. square, which will be computed into no/m2. In case of parasitic and malacophagous leeches, attempts have been made to note the number of leeches attached with the host body. In such case five or more host individuals are taken into account at random and mean would be considered for population density of this external parasite per host. The malacophagous leeches are counted on the basis of samplings of pelagic molluscs from an area of 30cm. square from the concerned water body. Also in this case five such samplings are taken and the

leeches attached/infested with snails are counted and mean of the five readings have been considered for the final data. The leeches are narcotized and preserved following the method recorded in the book entitled, “Hand Book for Zoological Collectors” published by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta (1985).

To analyze some important physico-chemical factors of soil and water the method described by Trivedy and Goel (1986) have been followed. The samples were preserved in 70% alcohol after necessary narcotization. Preserved samples were sorted very carefully using binocular. Immediately after collection, the material was washed in pond water or in any fresh water and allowed to relax in water mixed with drops of 70% alcohol for about 2 hours to avoid twisting or breaking. For the good dissection, specimens are kept in 4% formalin for 24 hours and then transferred to 70% alcohol after proper washing in fresh water for preservation. It is necessary to dissect and examine the caeca, epidymis, and vaginal duct of the specimens for taxonomic study.

RESULTS 27 species of leeches belonging to 13 genera and 4 families have been recorded from wetland ecosystem of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. It has been seen that due to higher altitude, vegetation and temperature, number of wetland leech species and population density of them varies. Due to insufficient vegetation and higher altitude only 2 species of leech have been found in west Bengal . On the other hand in the lakes of Tamil Nadu 12 species of leeches have been found. 9 out of 12 species of fresh water leeches were collected from high altitude of the state. There are not many ponds in Tamilnadu when compared to West Bengal. 20 species of leeches were found in the ponds of West Bengal. Lalbandh at Murshidabad where 10 leech species have been found due to floating, submergedand and immerged vegetation. Where waterhyacinth is the main component of vegetations. DISCUSSION Vegetation and altitude play a vital role in the life of Wetland leeches. Water hyacinth controls the population density and also the variety of leech species in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu (Mandal, 2005). Floating Eichornia, Lemna, Pistia submerged hydrophytes Ottelia, Utricularia, Vallisneria, Hydrilla, aerial emerging leaves Lymnophila, floating leaved and stem hydrophitesNelumbo and other grasses are main vegetations for the wetland leeches. Vegetations are little in the lakes of west Bengal so species are very few and population density is also less than the ponds of plain lands of the state. Maximum leech faunal diversity has been

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found in West Bengal because of its ecological diversity.

Table 1: Leech Faunal diversity in West Bengal and Tamilnadu

West Bengal Tamil Nadu Family/Species Ponds Lakes Lakes

Fam. Hirudidae Dinobdella ferox Mirik, Darjeeling Ooty, Nilgiri Fam. Glossiphonidae Glossiphonia heteroclita Piasbari,Malda Batracobdella reticulata Kandi, Murshidabad Glossiphonia weberi Except Darjeeling Ooty, Nilgiri Helobdella nociva Lalbandh Hemiclepsis marginata asiatica Most of the districts Ooty and yercaud Hemiclepsis marginata marginata Fam Erpobdellidae Nematobdella indica Most of the districts Ooty Herpobdelloidea lateroculata Most of the districts Fam.Hirudidae Poecilobdella granulosa Most of the districts Suchindram Poecilobdella manillensis Most of the districts Suchindram Hirudo birmanica Mirik, Darjeeling Ooty Kilakaria Fam.Piscicolidae Ozobranchus shipleyi 24 Parganas(N) Fam. Glossiphonidae Paraclepsis praedatrix Golsi,Burdwan Paraclepsis gardensi Kalibari pond, (N) 24 Parganas Placobdella emydae Harasundari, South 24 Parganas Pbdella fulva Most of the districts Placobdella horai Mechagram, Medinipur Placobdella undulata Krishnanagar, Nadia

Glossiphonia annandalei Piasbari, Malda Placobdella harasundarai Harasundari, South 24 Parganas Fam.Erpobdellidae Barbronia weberi Piasbari, Malda Fam. Hirudidae Dinobdella notata Ooty; Kodaikanal,

Keti Myxobdella annandalei Yercaud Poecilobdella viridis Etakare Fam.Glossiphonidae Hemiclepsis viridis Ooty Paraclepsis vulnifera Ooty Table 2: Salient features of selected freshwater wetlands in West Bengal and Tamilnadu

West Bengal Tamil Nadu Features Ponds Lakes Lakes Altitude 0-300 mts. 300mt.-2500mts 300mts-2000mts Area 1 bigha- 300bigha 50bigha-300bigha- 300bigha-500bigha Vegetation Floating waterhyacinth, Lemna,

Pistia,submergrd 0ttelia ,Hydrilla Nelumbo,Grasses Vallisneria etc.

Hydrilla, lymnophila, grasses etc.

Waterhyacinth, grasses etc.

Table 3: Species diversity in the Lakes and Ponds of West Bengal Name of the Ponds/Lakes No. of leech species Lalbandh, Murshidabad 10 Singher pukur, North 24 pgs. 8 Harasundari pond, South 24 pgs. 6 Botanical garden, Howrah 5 Dasher bandh, purulia 4 Sayar bandh,Bankura 3 Mirik Darjeeling 2

Glossiphonia annandalei(Ventral view)

Ozobranchus shipleyi

Glossiphonia heteroclita

Glossiphonia reticulata

Glossiphonia weberi

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Helobdella nociva(Dorsal &Ventral view)

Hemiclepsis marginata marginata(Dorsal & ventral)

Hemiclepsis m. asiatica

Paraclepsis praedatrix(Dorsal & Ventral)

Caecal arrangement of P gardensi

Placobdella emydae(Ventral view)

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Placobdella fulva(Dorsal & Ventral)

Placobdella harasundarai

Placobdella horai(Ventral)

Placobdella undulata

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Herpobdelloidea indica

Herpobdelloidea lateroculata

Barbronia weberi

Poecilobdella granulosa

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Poecilobdella manillensis

Hirudo birmanica (Dorsal & Ventral view)

Dinobdella ferox REFERENCES

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