It was first described in 1840 by the German zoologist Adolph Eduard Grube, the type locality being Palermo, Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea.

[1] Like other leeches, Trachelobdella lubrica has a flexible extensible body; when fully stretched it reaches about 3.5 cm (1.4 in).

[2] Host fish on which it has been found include the rock goby (Gobius paganellus), the ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), the East Atlantic peacock wrasse (Symphodus tinca), the European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), the brown meagre (Sciaena umbra), the black scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa), the spotted scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri), the red lionfish (Pterois volitans), the red hind (Epinephelus guttatus), the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), the common two-banded sea bream (Diplodus vulgaris) and the Western Atlantic seabream (Archosargus rhomboidalis).

The adults die after the eggs are laid, and the embryos develop directly in the cocoons without a larval stage taking place.

The juveniles that emerge through small holes in the sides of cocoons are translucent and poorly pigmented, the internal organs being visible through the cuticle.