# Helobdella

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{{Short description|Genus of annelid worms}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Europäischer-Platt-Egel cropped.jpg
| image_caption = ''[Helobdella europaea](/source/Helobdella_europaea)''
| taxon = Helobdella
| authority = Blanchard, 1896 
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}

'''''Helobdella''''' is a genus of [leech](/source/leech)es in the family [Glossiphoniidae](/source/Glossiphoniidae), the freshwater jawless leeches. They occur worldwide.<ref name=kut>{{cite journal| last1=Kutschera| first1=U.| last2=Langguth| first2=H.| last3=Kuo| first3=D.-H.| last4=Weisblat| first4=D. A.| last5=Shankland| first5=M.| title=Description of a new leech species from North America, ''Helobdella austinensis'' n. sp. (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with observations on its feeding behaviour| journal=Zoosystematics and Evolution| date=2013| volume=89| issue=2| pages=239–246| doi=10.1002/zoos.201300010 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256766941}}</ref>

These are small, flat leeches which do not feed on blood.<ref name=sid03>{{cite journal |last1=Siddall |first1=Mark E. |last2=Borda |first2=Elizabeth |title=Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus ''Helobdella'' (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the ''triserialis'' complex |journal=Zoologica Scripta |date=2003 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=23–33 |doi=10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00098.x |url=https://research.amnh.org/users/eborda/Siddall&Borda_2003.pdf}}</ref>

Several species in this genus are used as [model organism](/source/model_organism)s in the study of [developmental biology](/source/developmental_biology).<ref name=kut/>

It has been difficult to define species in this genus without DNA analysis. Like other leeches in this family, some ''Helobdella'' species are [polymorphic](/source/Polymorphism_(biology)), coming in different colors and patterns. On the other hand, some uniformly colored species are actually [cryptic species complex](/source/cryptic_species_complex)es that may be divided into separate species with genetic analysis.<ref name=sid03/>

As of 2004 there were approximately 40 described species, with species being described and reclassified continually.<ref name=sid04>{{cite journal |last1=Siddall |first1=Mark E. |last2=Borda |first2=Elizabeth |title=Leech Collections from Chile Including Two New Species of ''Helobdella'' (Annelida: Hirudinida) |journal=American Museum Novitates |date=2004 |issue=3457 |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1206/0003-0082(2004)457<0001:LCFCIT>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Species include:<ref name=sid03/>
*''[Helobdella austinensis](/source/Helobdella_austinensis)''<ref name=kut/>
*''[Helobdella californica](/source/Helobdella_californica)''
*''[Helobdella chaquensis](/source/Helobdella_chaquensis)''
*''[Helobdella cordobensis](/source/Helobdella_cordobensis)''
*''[Helobdella cryptica](/source/Helobdella_cryptica)''
*''[Helobdella duplicata](/source/Helobdella_duplicata)''
*''[Helobdella elongata](/source/Helobdella_elongata)''
*''{{ill|Helobdella europaea|de}}''
*''[Helobdella longicollis](/source/Helobdella_longicollis)''
*''[Helobdella malvinensis](/source/Helobdella_malvinensis)''
*''[Helobdella michaelseni](/source/Helobdella_michaelseni)''
*''[Helobdella modesta](/source/Helobdella_modesta)''
*''[Helobdella paranensis](/source/Helobdella_paranensis)''
*''[Helobdella pichipanan](/source/Helobdella_pichipanan)''
*''[Helobdella obscura](/source/Helobdella_obscura)''
*''[Helobdella robusta](/source/Helobdella_robusta)''
*''[Helobdella similis](/source/Helobdella_similis)''
*''[Helobdella stagnalis](/source/Helobdella_stagnalis)''
*''[Helobdella triserialis](/source/Helobdella_triserialis)''
*''[Helobdella virginiae](/source/Helobdella_virginiae)''<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oceguera-Figueroa |first1=Alejandro |title=Especie nueva de sanguijuela del género helobdella (Rhynchobdellida: Glossiphoniidae) del lado de Catemaco, Veracruz, México |journal=Acta Zoológica Mexicana |series=New Series  |lang=es |date=2007 |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=15–22 |doi=10.21829/azm.2007.231553 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
*''[Helobdella wodzickiorum](/source/Helobdella_wodzickiorum)''
*''[Helobdella xenoica](/source/Helobdella_xenoica)''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q5174640}}

Category:Glossiphoniidae

{{Annelid-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Helobdella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helobdella) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helobdella?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.