A new marine leech Nototheniobdella sawyeri gen. et sp. n. from Antarctic seas (Hirudinea: Piscicolidae)

Abstract. The antarcic leech Nototheniobdella sawyeri gen. et sp. n., parasitic in the mouth and on the body surface of bullheads and notothenioids, is described and placed in a new tribe Nototheniobdellini. These leeches have the following features: body cylindrical; trachelosome narrower than urosome; suckers large, rounded; from 12 to 13 pairs of pulsatile vesicles; mid-body somite 6-annulate, with a pair of pulsatile vesicles on B3 annulus; posterior crop caeca fused, with 4 slits; accessory glands present; seminal vesiclens in the form of long loops; 6 pairs of testisacs; ovisacs long, greatlycoiled; conductive tissue and copulatory zone absent.