Abstract
Background. Medicinal leeches are a traditional aquatic biological resource in Russia, officially used in practical medicine, pharmacology and cosmetology. However, in recent decades, the distribution range and abundance of these valuable aquatic organisms on the Russian territiry have decreased considerably. Relevance. The study of the present geographical range of this exploitable leech species is of practical importance, since the modern technology of their controlled breeding at biological production facilities requires constant replenishment of the broodstock and procurement of mature individuals from natural populations. This work is aimed at the identification of the current habitats of medicinal leeches in the aquatic ecosystems of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Methods. This research was carried out in the last ten days of August 2021 in the daytime, in the littoral part of the water bodies of the plain and foothill zones of Kabardino-Balkaria. Leeches were caught with a handheld net, as well as collected manually from the objects in the immediate surroundings. The species of the caught leeches were determined using taxonomic keys in accordance with the modern classification. Results. New data on the distribution of the exploitable species of medicinal leeches Hirudo verbana (Carena, 1820) in the aquatic ecosystems of Kabardino-Balkaria are presented. Habitats of natural populations of this leech species were found in the Trek Lake and Deya River. Conclusion. The presence of the medicinal leech H. verbana in the investigated water bodies indicates their good ecological state. The results of this study make it possible to expand our understanding of the present distribution range of this exploitable species of aquatic organisms.
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