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Of the 650 species of leech listed, Hirudo medicinalis is one of the most extensively studied. This annelid from the subclass Hirudinea has 2 suckers, one housing the mouth and its 3 jaws. It lives mainly in the stagnant waters of marshes and ponds. When it comes to reproduction, the animal is a hermaphrodite. Inseminated leeches lay their eggs during the spring and summer months, outside the water, with cocoons containing as many as thirty young.
All leeches have 2 sucking discs (one at each end). The larger disc is located at the tail which is used most of the time to hold on to things. The smaller disc is the mouth area. Most anglers hook a leech around the large disc area. The large disc and small disc on a leech are also used in the reproduction process because they contain both male and female reproductive organs. There may be slight color variations from either a light brown to olive green but most are blackish.