The present state of leech fauna (Annelida: Hirudinea) in Dal Lake, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Dal Lake supports a diverse group of fauna, including fishes, aquatic birds, zooplankton, and macrobenthic invertebrates. This study is the first taxonomic documentation of the leech fauna of Dal Lake. A total of nine leech taxa belonging to four families were identified and described: Glossiphoniidae – Alboglossiphonia weberi, A. heteroclita, Glossiphonia complanata, Helobdella stagnalis, Hemiclepsis marginata asiatica, and Theromyzon sp.; Erpobdellidae – Erpobdella octoculata; Hirudinidae – Poecilobdella granulosa; and Haemopidae – Haemopis indicus. Leeches play key roles in prey-predator dynamics and host-parasite relationships in freshwater ecosystems and as bioindicators of water pollution. This study provides essential data for taxonomic accounts and the diversity of leech fauna in Dal Lake.