Annelida: Leech Anatomy
Leech Anatomy
Leeches are the only annelids with a fixed number (34) of body segments; each segment has secondary subdivisions known as annuli. A clitellum, less conspicuous than that of oligochaetes, is present; there are no parapodia. A leech has a small anterior sucker and a larger posterior one; the leech crawls by moving the anterior sucker forward, attaching it, and drawing up the posterior sucker. Most leeches can swim by rapid undulations of the body, using well-developed muscles of the body wall.
The coelom differs from that of other annelids in that it is largely filled in with tissue. Coelomic fluid is contained in a system of sinuses, which in some leeches functions as a circulatory system; there is a tendency in this group toward the loss of true blood vessels. The blood of some leeches is red. In others the blood lacks oxygen-carrying pigments and is therefore colorless; the oxygen dissolved directly in the blood is sufficient for respiration. Gas exchange occurs through the body surface of most leeches, although many fish-parasitizing leeches have gills.
The sense organs consist of sensory cells of various types, including photoreceptor cells, scattered over the body surface. There are also from 2 to 10 eyes, consisting of clusters of photoreceptor cells and located toward the front of the body.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Leech Reproduction
- Leech Predation and Digestion
- Leech Anatomy
- Class Hirudinea
- Oligochaete Reproduction
- Oligochaete Circulation and Respiration
- Oligochaete Digestion
- Oligochaete Anatomy
- Class Oligochaeta
- Archiannelida and Myzostomaria
- Polychaete Reproduction
- Polychaete Anatomy
- Sedentary Polychaetes
- Errant Polychaetes
- Class Polychaeta
- Reproduction
- The Nervous System
- Respiration
- Circulation
- Digestion
- The Body Wall
- Segmented Bodies
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Zoology: Invertebrates