Lepeophtheirus pectoralis

Lepeophtheirus pectoralis is a species of parasitic copepod from the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and the type species of the genus Lepeophtheirus.[1] It is a parasite of flatfish, with the European flounder (Platichthys flesus), the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), and the dab (Limanda limanda) as the most frequent hosts.[2] It feeds on the mucus, skin, and blood of the fish, with egg-producing females infecting the pectoral and pelvic fins of the host, while immature individuals and males are found on the rest of the body.[3]

Lepeophtheirus pectoralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Hexanauplia
Subclass:
Copepoda
Order:
Siphonostomatoida
Family:
Caligidae
Genus:
Lepeophtheirus
Species:
L. pectoralis
Binomial name
Lepeophtheirus pectoralis
Synonyms

Lernaea pectoralis Müller, 1776
Caligus pectoralis (Müller, 1776)

Lifecycle

Its lifecycle consists of five phases and 10 stages. The first two stages are free-swimming nauplius I and II, while the third stage is the copepodid stage, during which the copepod attaches itself to the fish. Stages IV, V, VI and VII are the chalimus stages, and are followed by the preadult and adult stages, when differentiation of males and females is possible.[4] Multiple generations are apparently produced per year, which show differences in longevity, size, and fecundity.[5]

See also

References
  1. Walter, T. Chad, Boxshall, G. (2008). Walter TC, Boxshall G (eds.). "Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller O.F., 1776)". World of Copepods database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. Boxshall, Geoff (1976). "The host specificity of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller) (Copepoda: Caligidae)". Journal of Fish Biology. 8 (3): 255. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1976.tb03949.x.
  3. Boxshall, Geoff (1974). "Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (O.F. Müller); a description, a review and some comparisons with the genus Caligus Müller, 1785". Journal of Natural History. 8 (4): 445–468. doi:10.1080/00222937400770381.
  4. Boxshall, Geoff (1974). "The developmental stages of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller, 1776) (Copepoda: Caligidae)". Journal of Natural History. 8 (6): 681. doi:10.1080/00222937400770581.
  5. Frade, DG; Santos, MJ; Cavaleiro, FI (2016). "The reproductive effort of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Copepoda: Caligidae): insights into the egg production strategy of parasitic copepods". Parasitology. 143 (1): 87–96. doi:10.1017/S0031182015001493.
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