Leeches from Mexico City, remnants of the ancient lake

Abstract

Genetic barcodes (partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) were generated for freshwater leeches that inhabit the Mexico Basin, upon which Mexico City and its metropolitan area have developed. Once a continuous lake, the basin has passed through continuous events of artificial desiccation in the last 500 years so that it is currently conformed by a few and highly modified and polluted isolated freshwater bodies. Six species of leeches from three families were collected in five localities. Current sequence databases were able to determine five of the six species collected for this study with the only exception of Haemopis caballeroi, for which no sequence data are available in public repositories. Taxonomic assignment of cocoons was possible via comparison of barcode sequences. We discuss the presence of a population of Erpobdella ochoterenai in Tecocomulco Lake that bares high genetic divergence from its conspecifics, which may indicate it is an undescribed species.

Keywords:

• Genetic barcodes
• leeches
• Mexico Basin
• Erpobdella
• Helobdella
• Haemopis

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Pedregal de San Angel Ecological Reserve (REPSA) for allowing us to collect in the protected area. Laura Márquez Valdelamar, Andrea Jiménez Marín and Ofelia Delgado Hernández assisted in the generation of DNA sequences. We thank Susana Gómez for the assistance with the light microscopy images of leeches. Luis García Prieto assisted in the management of the CNHE. This study was partially founded by the projects CONACYT 220408 and PAPIIT IN210318 to AO-F and CONACYT a scholarship to JJ-A.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT) and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología.