Where do leeches belong in the food chain?

Leeches are predators that typically feed on the blood of vertebrates. Some species of leeches are also known to scavenge on dead animals. Leeches may serve as intermediate hosts for a variety of parasitic worms, so in those relationships, leeches fall somewhere closer to the middle of the food chain instead of being the top predators. Their placement in the food chain largely depends on the species of leech and the ecosystem they inhabit.