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A laboratory study of the food of three species of leeches occurring in British lakes

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Abstract

The food of lake-dwelling Erpobdella octoculata, Glossiphonia complanata and Helobdella stagnalis was determined by exposing potential prey organisms to leech attack in dishes, in the laboratory. For each prey species, four experimental regimes were used; these contained prey and leeches of different sizes.

E. octoculata fed extensively on chironomids and oligochaetes, G. complanata on gastropods, oligochaetes and chironomids, and H. stagnalis on a wide variety of prey, including oligochaetes, chironomids, gastropods, Asellus and mayflies. Feeding was most intense during periods of darkness. Findings are compared with those of previous studies.

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  1. Department of Zoology, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool, England

    J. O. Young & J. W. Ironmonger

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  1. J. O. Young
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Young, J.O., Ironmonger, J.W. A laboratory study of the food of three species of leeches occurring in British lakes. Hydrobiologia 68, 209–215 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018828

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