(Storsteinan - The Trondheim fjord / 08.05.2001 / 18 meters)

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Hirudinea

Family: Piscicolidae

 

Norwegian: -

Up

Distribution: This leech is registered in the north east Atlantic, along the coasts of Norway, Scotland and Iceland. It is usually found sucking body fluid from gadoids and flatfish.

Characteristics: It may be confused with the slightly larger C. lophii, living almost exclusively on monkfish. The rear sucker of C. nodulifera is approximately twice the size of the front sucker, while the corresponding ratio of the C. lophii is 4:1.

C. nodulifera may reach a length of 3 cm. It has no eyes.

All pictures: