Animalscaretips
leech, (subclass Hirudinea), any of about 650 species of segmented worms (phylum Annelida) characterized by a small sucker, which contains the mouth, at the anterior end of the body and a large sucker located at the posterior end. All leeches have 34 body segments. ... Leeches occur primarily in fresh water and on land.
- Why are leeches classified as annelids?
- Are leeches and earthworms annelids?
- What makes an annelid an annelid?
- Is leech an amphibian?
- Is leech unicellular or multicellular?
- What are the characteristics of a leech?
- Do leeches have antennae?
- What is the most common annelid?
- Is a tapeworm an annelid?
- Is a millipede an annelid?
- Is a leech a worm?
- Are slugs and leeches related?
- Do leeches eat earthworms?
Why are leeches classified as annelids?
Helobdella sp. Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. ... The body is muscular and relatively solid, and the coelom, the spacious body cavity found in other annelids, is reduced to small channels.
Are leeches and earthworms annelids?
The annelids /ˈænəlɪdz/ (Annelida /əˈnɛlɪdə/, from Latin anellus, "little ring"), also known as the ringed worms or segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches.
What makes an annelid an annelid?
annelid, phylum name Annelida, also called segmented worm, any member of a phylum of invertebrate animals that are characterized by the possession of a body cavity (or coelom), movable bristles (or setae), and a body divided into segments by transverse rings, or annulations, from which they take their name.
Is leech an amphibian?
Most leeches are freshwater animals, but many terrestrial and marine species occur. ... Some species are considered amphibious as they have been observed in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
Is leech unicellular or multicellular?
Yes, leeches are multicellular. They fall under the Kingdom Animalia.
What are the characteristics of a leech?
Leeches are segmented worms with suction cups at each end. Their bodies are flattened, much wider than they are thick. They are usually dark colored, often brown or sometimes black or dark green. Some species have no markings, others have spots and stripes.
Do leeches have antennae?
They are dark black and look like "moving tar" They do not have "antennae like" things as slugs or snails do (Sorry I don't know correct name). And they are pretty small.
What is the most common annelid?
Earthworms are probably the best known and most common of the annelids; more than 2,700 kinds of earthworms have been identified around the world.
Is a tapeworm an annelid?
Worms include several groups. The first of these, Platyhelminthes, includes the flatworms, tapeworms, and flukes. ... The third group consists of the segmented worms, with bodies divided into segments, or rings. This phylum is called Annelida.
Is a millipede an annelid?
The Annelid phylum contains three classes of organisms: Polychaeta, Oligochaeta and Hirudinea. ... The Arthropoda phylum contains five classes: Crustacea (shrimp and lobster), Arachnida (spiders and scorpions), Chilopoda (centipedes), Diplopoda (millipedes) and Insecta (roaches and beetles).
Is a leech a worm?
Leeches (often misspelled leach or leaches) are flattened segmented worms with a sucker on both tail and mouth. They move by attaching the mouth sucker, then tail sucker, then mouth sucker, and so on, flipping along the surface. ... Some leeches even live in moist environments on the land.
Are slugs and leeches related?
Despite their similar body forms, they are different from each other. Leeches are related to earthworms; most of them feed on the blood of other creatures. They have been used in clinical bloodletting for centuries. Slugs are mollusks -- they're basically snails without shells.
Do leeches eat earthworms?
Giant flesh-eating leech filmed swallowing huge earthworm like spaghetti. ... They have grown so big that they no longer simply suck blood but now actively hunt giant blue worms and suck them down like spaghetti.
