OK, I've Googled this and I can't figure it out. I was camping on Brule for the last few days, and stuck to the rocks underwater at shore were several leech-like creatures, but underneath they had legs. They were attached to the rocks just like a leech would, and they would curl up when poked like a leech would. But underneath they had legs on each section. (Leeches and this creature both seem to be segmented worms.) It was about the size of a leech as well.

Does anyone have any idea what I found?

Bait?

Aliens!
I knew it!
They're here! Right under our noses, er, rocks!!
:)
Seriously, sounds like some kind of newt, ...maybe an eft.

Definitely not a newt. Looks exactly like a leech, put a twig on it to try to steal it for bait, had multiple sets of legs underneath -- like an insect would. This leads me to believe it could be part of the lifecycle of a beetle larvae or something, but image searches have come up empty.

Possibly a hellgrammite, which is the larval form of the Dobson fly:

Hellgrammite

A hellgrammite or a larva of something like a water beetle makes the most sense, except it 1) had a sucker head like a leech, not a bug head, 2) had a soft body like a leech, 3) legs underneath and not at sides, 4) no gills (unless completely underneath). It stayed attached to the rock for several days, then was missing the fourth day.

Brule Bug

I should have captured it in a jar, tightly secured the lid, and taken it with me for later identification. But with my luck, I'd be driving back at night on a remote road, when I drop something. I pull over and turn on the cabin light and find it next to the jar. But what's this? The jar--with the lid still screwed on tight--is empty. I'd have a moment to experience fear before something tickles my neck. I reach back to swat it away but it's already at my ear, burrowing into my brain, as I put the car back into drive in time to make my international flight, spreading Brule Bug to the entire world.

You found a leech with it's babies attached to it. Many years ago my leech-magnet friend had one attached to her leg. We pulled it off and took a closer look. First exclamation was, "This leech has LEGS!" Then, "NO, they're BABY LEECHES!" It was flung far, far away before we could take a picture.

prettypaddle: "You found a leech with it's babies attached to it. Many years ago my leech-magnet friend had one attached to her leg. We pulled it off and took a closer look. First exclamation was, "This leech has LEGS!" Then, "NO, they're BABY LEECHES!" It was flung far, far away before we could take a picture. "

My thoughts as well, I trapped leeches professionally for a few years.
Leeches carry their babies under their belly.

Thanks, I thought prettypaddle's explanation made perfect sense and great to hear a leech trapper says the same thing. Because I never removed it from the water I never got a great look that the "legs" were actually lightly colored baby leeches. I searched Google Images for some nightmare images of leeches and found pictures that look similar.

For anyone else's benefit, it turns out they will carry/protect an egg ball, and those hatch into baby leeches.

This message has had HTML content edited out of it.
Thanks.
I have learned something new today.



But I still like my first explanation.

I once saw a huge mama leech covered in babies! It was so gross.

One time one of my kids (5 at the time) swam where I told them not to swim. She came out of the lake covered in 100's if not 1000's of baby leeches all over her legs. I was mortified. I kept my cool and got them all off.

prettypaddle: "You found a leech with it's babies attached to it. Many years ago my leech-magnet friend had one attached to her leg. We pulled it off and took a closer look. First exclamation was, "This leech has LEGS!" Then, "NO, they're BABY LEECHES!" It was flung far, far away before we could take a picture. "

Yep. That be it.

thebotanyguy: "Possibly a hellgrammite, which is the larval form of the Dobson fly:


Hellgrammite
"

I'd defer to the botonyguy on this one. I would have said a stonefly larvae of some kind but that's without having seen it. I could be wrong.

HighnDry: "

thebotanyguy: "Possibly a hellgrammite, which is the larval form of the Dobson fly:



Hellgrammite
"

I'd defer to the botonyguy on this one. I would have said a stonefly larvae of some kind but that's without having seen it. I could be wrong."

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but the subsequent description of the critter makes me think that an adult leech with offspring is the correct ID. Specifically, the description of the head would rule out a hellgrammite. The hellgrammite's impressive mouth parts would likely not be confused with a leech's sucker mouth .

I did pull my copy of Robert Pennak's "Fresh-water Invertebrates of the United States " and looked up the reproductive information on the leeches. There is one family in the order of leeches that attach their eggs to themselves rather than a substrate in a cocoon:

"The Glossiphoniidae do not form true cocoons but carry their fertilized eggs in membranous capsules on the ventral surface of the body. After hatching, the young remain on the body of the parent in the same area. They are attached by means of mucous threads and probably feed on mucous until they leave the parent. "

Many years ago, somewhere on a loop through Mudro, I looked down at my ankle. It looked like there was mud along the teva ankle strap. Turns out it was a leach. I made my husband take it off. Then he says "look! Baby leeches!"
Just wonderful. I never had one on me before and it was a little freaky. My ankle bled for a while, but I'm glad it was my ankle, not my daughters, who was already having a rough trip.

thebotanyguy: "Possibly a hellgrammite, which is the larval form of the Dobson fly:


Hellgrammite
"

I may never go in the water again....

Canoe42: "

prettypaddle: "You found a leech with it's babies attached to it. Many years ago my leech-magnet friend had one attached to her leg. We pulled it off and took a closer look. First exclamation was, "This leech has LEGS!" Then, "NO, they're BABY LEECHES!" It was flung far, far away before we could take a picture. "

Yep. That be it."

I was thinking the same thing.

I once found a nice fat leech stuck to our canoe when we landed at a campsite. I was thinking "Oh boy--bait!". When I pulled it off of the canoe I noticed that it was "fuzzy" on the underside (what the OP probably saw as legs). I soon realized that this fuzziness was actually dozens and dozens of tiny baby leeches. They got all over my hands and I later found a few strays wiggling up my forearms--you could not feel them because they were so small. Freaked/grossed me out a bit.

This post freaks me out. Blood suckers are the one thing in nature that I can't handle.