Zootaxa has been the leading journal on invertebrate systematics especially within
Annelida. Our current estimates indicate annelids include approximately 20,200 valid …

Methods for species delimitation using molecular data have developed greatly and have
become a staple in systematic studies of clitellate worms. Here we give a historical overview …

Background Leeches have been used in traditional Chinese medicine since prehistoric
times to treat a spectrum of ailments, but very little is known about their physiological …

Leeches are well-known annelids due to their obligate blood-feeding habits. Some leech
species secrete various biologically active substances which have important medical and …

Destabilase from the medical leech Hirudo medicinalis belongs to the family of i-type
lysozymes. It has two different enzymatic activities: microbial cell walls destruction …

Despite being a non-hematophagous leech, Whitmania pigra is widely used in traditional
Chinese medicine for the treatment of antithrombotic diseases. In this study, we provide a …

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a nonsulfated linear glycosaminoglycan with a negative charge.
Different from the high-molecular-weight HAs, the low-molecular-weight HAs (LMW-HAs, 4 …

Bloodfeeding leeches have powerful anticoagulants that allow them to feed for extended
periods. However, many leech species are predatory rather than bloodfeeding. It is not …

The freshwater leech Whitmania pigra (W. pigra) Whitman (Annelida phylum) is a model
organism for neurodevelopmental studies. However, molecular biology research on its …

Bloodfeeding is employed by many parasitic animals and requires specific innovations for
efficient feeding. Some of these innovations are molecular features that are related to the …