Topic: Can anyone identify...

[Heldi]

...the black thing on the pebbles. I think it looks like a leech (my toes are curling). I've seen about 4 of them. I don't want to do anything about them as long as they are happy and keep away from me! They are in my pond in a sink. What are they??!!

[Gadfium]

It does look rather like a leech... quite common in open ponds, not sure how usual they are in sink-ponds.

[dibberxxx]

Heldi it is a leech i have quite a few of them in little water features i have , never seem to do any harm so i just leave them alone

[Heldi]

Thanks! I thought it was a leech. Aren't they endangered or something? I'm sure I've seen or heard that they are.Or maybe it is a certain variety of leech! I suspect they came in with the frog spawn. They were teeny tiny at first but are caterpiller sized now.  I thought leeches sucked blood!? I'm wondering how they will survive.  Urgh they make my flesh crawl. I wouldn't set out to harm them though.

[Margaret]

Hello Heidi.The leeches in my pond are certainly not endangered!! they breed quickly so if you prefer to remove them you may do yourself a favour in the long run.They will be fine in a country pond.However they do no harm.

It is only the medicinal leech that is endangered.My leeches are reddish brown.Yours look black,or is that just the way the colour photo makes them look?

[Heldi]

Hi Margaret. Yes mine are most definately black. Amazingly I'm curious as to what type of leech they are now! The thought of removing them has made me grimace a bit,they really do give me the colly wobbles. I'm hoping they just get on with doing their thing and I can leave them be.

[Margaret]

Heidi.You have got me at it now! i have looked in my pond life book and the only true black leech has a pale lateral stripe.Has yours,they don't look as if they have.If they have then i would get rid,quick.They get very big and will attack tadpoles.They are known as the horse leech.However if they are plain black then i really don't know but i am going to find out.I am fascinated by pond life.

[Margaret]

ok here goes.i now think it is a Polycelis flatworm,much less harmful than a horseleech!! Type Polycelis flatworm into google images and let me know if you think that is it.They feed on decomposing matter so will actually be of benefit to you.

[Heldi]

Hi Margaret!

I'll have to try to get some more photographs. I haven't seen any for a while. I looked at the Polycelis flatworm and I thought it looked like them but then again I haven't noticed the probe things on the head. Mind you, the ones I've got were very small when I last noticed them. The camera was on macro zoom. I haven't spied a stripe down the back either,I hope they aren't the horseleech. My god I'll die a thousand deaths if I have to fish them out!!! Dead interesting isn't it! 

[Palustris]

The endangered species is the Medicinal leech, which is now only found wild in parts of Scotland. This is the only one which attaches itself to humans. So while, if they are leeches, they are a bit 'icky' , at least you are safe from them!

[jschleigh]

ok here goes.i now think it is a Polycelis flatworm,much less harmful than a horseleech!! Type Polycelis flatworm into google images and let me know if you think that is it.They feed on decomposing matter so will actually be of benefit to you.

Flat worms are not segmented, nor do they have suckers on each end.  There are many different types of leeches.  I have yet to find any information indicating that any are not parasitic.

If yours are segmented and appear to attach to the rocks with either end (try pushing them around), then I think they are leeches.

[Heldi]

I  managed to fish one of these creatures out. I've taken a couple of photographs.

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I'll try to improve on those pics when I next see one. Took these ones a while ago and haven't seen any since. Camera shy  :).

[Marianne]

Eeeeekikk!!  :o :o :o :o  Just looking at your photos gives me the creeps !

I too thought they stuck to your skin and sucked up blood until they were enormously full and fat - and then fell back in the water ! Yuck ! 

 :o :o

[Heldi]

LOL  ;D Marianne!  Glad I'm not the only one hee hee hee!!  I've got to find another one yet and try "pushing it around" like jschleigh suggests. Hahaha,how long a stick will I need lol!  Urgh !

[Margaret]

Leeches are really not that bad! Medicinal leeches are the only ones that suck human blood(apart from a few tropical ones which certainly you would not find in this country!!) And fish leeches are definitely harmful to the fish,but in 15 years of keeping fish i am glad to say i have never come across one.Mine are the reddish brown variety and there are many in both my nature and my fish pond.They do no harm and i remove them when i find them from my fish pond but i could not kill them,i put them into a local large country pond.So i have handled many and they do not cause me any problem,in fact you cannot feel them on your skin!

[Heldi]

Margaret you are brave! I am not usually squimish about anything much but these little guys make me shudder. Daft isn't it! Don't worry I wouldn't deliberately harm or kill them.

[Marianne]

Heldi -  ;D No I would not harm them voluntarily neither but the thought of them touching me makes me feel rather sick. ;D

However I have heard that when they are put on your skin (for medicinal purposes of course), you cannot feel a thing as their saliva numbs your skin. (or is a type of bat that does that  ??? ::))

Whichever it is, I do not want to try !  ;D ;D ;D :P