Abstract:
Ozobranchus spp. are leeches that feed solely on turtle blood. They are common ectoparasites
found on a range of marine turtle species, with some species of the leech being implicated as
vectors of fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV). Green (Chelonia mydas)
and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles are the two commonly occurring species in the
inner granitic islands of the Seychelles. Routine monitoring of nesting turtles on Cousine
Island, Seychelles, allowed for opportunistic sightings of leeches on two hawksbill females.
In both cases infestation was low, with three leeches collected off one female turtle and five
off the other. No obvious signs of papillomas secondary to infection of FPTHV were seen. All
of the turtle leeches collected were determined to be Ozobranchus margoi as they had five
pairs of lateral digiform branchiae. The specimens were deposited in the Seychelles Natural
History Museum on Mahé. To the best of our knowledge this is the first record of Ozobranchus
margoi recorded in the inner granitic Seychelles on hawksbill turtles.
