First record of the marine turtle leech (Ozobranchus margoi) on hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the inner granitic Seychelles

Ozobranchus spp. are leechesthat feed solely on turtle blood. They are common ectoparasitesfound on a range of marine turtle species, with some species of the leechbeing 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 CousineIsland, Seychelles, allowed for opportunistic sightings of leecheson two hawksbill females. In both cases infestation was low, with three leechescollected off one female turtle and five off the other. No obvious signs of papillomassecondary to infection of FPTHV were seen. All of the turtle leechescollected 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 Mahe. To the best of our knowledge this is the first record of Ozobranchus margoi recorded in the inner granitic Seychelles on hawksbill turtles.