Exploring the attachment of the Mediterranean medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) to porous substrates. Issue 168 (29th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kampowski, Tim; Thiemann, Lara-Louise; Kürner, Lukas; Speck, Thomas; Poppinga, Simon
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Royal Society interface. Volume 17:Issue 168(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-07-29
• Subjects: attachment mechanisms -- biological attachment -- motion analysis -- mucus -- pull-off force -- suction; Physical sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Life sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Interdisciplinary research -- Periodicals; 570.5
• DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0300
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-5689

Abstract

Abstract : Haematophagous ectoparasites must ensure a reliable hold to their host during blood meals and, therefore, have evolved a broad spectrum of versatile and effective attachment mechanisms. The Mediterranean medicinal leech ( Hirudo verbana ), for example, uses suction on both smooth and textured air-tight substrates. However, preliminary studies showed that H. verbana is also capable of attaching itself to air-permeable substrates, where suction does not work. Using high-speed videography and mechanical tests, we comparatively investigated the attachment of H. verbana on both smooth and textured air-tight as well as on porous artificial substrates, also considering the influence of mucus on sucker surfaces. In general, the leech-specific locomotion cycle did not differ between the tested surfaces, and the leeches were able to reliably attach to both air-tight and porous substrates. From our results, we conclude that suction is presumably the primary attachment mechanism of H. verbana . However, secondary mechanisms such as mechanical interlocking with surface asperities and pores or capillary forces occurring at the interface between the mucus-covered suckers and the substratum are also employed. In any case, the rich repertoire of applicable attachment principles renders the organs of H. verbana functionally highly resilient.