Journal of Environmental Biology

Observation on an isopod parasitizing the edible fish

Parastromateus niger in the Parangipettai coast of India

Author Details

G. Ramesh kumar

Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai - 608 502, India

S. Ravichandran

(Corresponding author)

Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University,

Parangipettai - 608 502, India

e-mail: sravicas@gmail.com

J.P. Trilles

UMR 5119 (CNRS-UM2-IFREMER-IRD), Equipe Adaptation Ecophysiologique et

Ontogen?se, Universit? Montpellier 2, CC. 092, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05,

France

Publication Data

Paper received:

06 August 2010

Revised received:

10 January 2011

Re-revised received:

16 February 2011

Re-re-revised received:

17 May 2011

Accepted:

26 May 2011

Abstract

Cymothoidae are big parasites on fishes and often they are host specific. This study reports that in India, the Black pomfret (Parastromateus niger), a highly edible marine fish belonging to the family Carangidae, is the type host of Cymothoa eremita (Isopoda, Cymothoidae). Among one hundred and sixty fish examined from April to July, 2010 in Parangipettai coastal waters, only three female specimens were infested in June, 2010. It seems that such parasitism depends particularly on the season and on the host sex.

Key words

Parastromateus niger, Cymothoa eremita, Crustacea, Cymothoidae

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