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Title: Leeches Predate on Fast-Escaping and Entangling Blackworms by Spiral Entombment
Synopsis We investigate how the Helobdella sp. freshwater leeches capture and consume Lumbriculus variegatus blackworms despite the blackworm’s ultrafast helical swimming escape reflex and ability to form large tangled “blobs.” We describe a spiral “entombment” predation strategy, where Helobdellid leeches latch onto blackworms with their anterior sucker and envelop them in a spiral cocoon. Quantitative analysis shows that larger leeches succeed more often in entombing prey, while longer worms tend to escape. The rate of spiral contraction correlates with entombment outcomes, with slower rates associated with success. These insights highlight the complex interactions between predator and prey in freshwater ecosystems, providing new perspectives on ecological adaptability and predator-prey dynamics.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2310741 1806833 2310691 2218382 1941933
PAR ID:
10556223
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Oxford University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Integrative And Comparative Biology
Volume:
64
Issue:
5
ISSN:
1540-7063
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 1408-1415
Size(s):
p. 1408-1415
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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