The presently reported study investigated seasonal fluctuations in the prevalence in four species of Nerocila infesting commercially exploited marine fishes representing the families Engraulidae, Clupeidae and Ambassidae, from the Malabar coast (Kerala, India). Seven of 56 fish species belonging to 23 families were infested by either one or two species of Nerocila. All the collected Nerocila species showed significant seasonal fluctuations in the prevalence of infestation, reaching maximum from October through April and minimum (or total absence of the parasites) from May through September. Such fluctuations were analyzed based on environmental parameters. Body surface, postero-ventral side of the head and the lateral line of the host fish form the major infestation site for the recovered Nerocila species. Skin lesion and hemorrhages were observed on the fish parasitized with these cymothoids.

Anilkumar G

Department of Integrative Biology

School of Bio Sciences and Technology

Vellore Campus

Aneesh P.-T

Sudha K

Arshad K

Trilles J.-P.

Fulltext

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Acta Parasitologica

Mothocya renardi (Bleeker, 1857), a protandrically hermaphroditic cymothoid, parasitising the banded needle fish Strongylura leiura (Bleeker) from the Malabar Coast, India is redescribed and morphological data for different life-cycle stages [male, transitional and ovigerous female, larvae (pre-manca and manca) and juvenile] are provided. Mothocya renardi exhibited strict oligoxenous host specificity by infesting only S. leiura and showed high prevalence levels (reaching up to 92%). The life-cycle of M. renardi comprises three major phases (marsupial phase, free living phase and infestive phase). The marsupial phase comprised one zygotic, three embryonic and two larval stages, all of which remained in the marsupium until the final staged manca is released into the surrounding water. After having led a short free- swimming life, the manca infested the branchial cavity of the host fish, S. leiura. Subsequently it was transformed successively into juvenile, male, transitional and finally functional female through biphasic moult which occurs in between each stage. Based on the presence (or absence) of a brood pouch and/or marsupiumites, six successive stages of the female population were also identified. These data will help precise identification of the female M. renardi irrespective of their stage. The present paper also discusses the host-parasite interactions between S. leiura and M. renardi.

Systematic Parasitology

Mothocya renardi (Bleeker, 1857) (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitising Strongylura leiura (Bleeker) (Belonidae) off the Malabar coast of India: Redescription, occurrence and life-cycle

Background: Cymothoa frontalis Milne Edward, 1840 is a very poorly described cymothoid, notwithstanding the previous redescription of the female. Pertinently, to date, the host of C. frontalis has not been identified with adequate precision. Most of the descriptions of cymothoids carried out hitherto were based primarily on females, but practically ignoring other life cycle stages. The present paper redescribes the female and describes other life cycle stages of the species C. frontalis to get better precision in their identification. Results: The female phase of C. frontalis is redescribed according to type specimens extant in the NMNH, Paris, and also by the data obtained from live specimens collected during the present study. The general morphology and appendages of various life cycle stages of the species are described. Among 80 fish species from 35 families examined, C. frontalis was recovered only from Strongylura strongylura signifying its oligoxenous host specificity, the prevalence and intensity being 68.65% and 1.9, respectively. Each host fish in more than 85% of the population was infested with a pair of C. frontalis, in three combinations, predominantly with male-female pair (70.9%). C. frontalis exhibited strict site specificity attaching to the buccal cavity of the host fish. The study has also identified three major phases (marsupial, free living and infective) in the life cycle of C. frontalis. The zygotic-staged marsupiumites were developed through five sequential ontogenetic stages. The manca released from the marsupium become infective after a brief period of free swimming life. During the infective phase, C. frontalis completes remaining life cycle stages with successive moulting. Further, six successive stages of the ovigerous females have also been identified. Conclusions: The present redescription of the female and the description of transitional, male, juvenile and larvae of C. frontalis facilitate precise identification of the species at any stage of the life cycle. Further, the strict host and site specificities of the parasite, as borne out from the present study, and its high degree of prevalence in the host make C. frontalis as an ideal model organism to study the strategies to be adopted for the management of parasites infesting edible fishes. © 2015 Thamban et al.

Zoological Studies

Cymothoa frontalis, a cymothoid isopod parasitizing the belonid fish Strongylura strongylura from the Malabar Coast (Kerala, India): redescription, description, prevalence and life cycle

Simultaneous multiple infestation of parasitic crustacean species involving a cymothoid isopod, Cymothoa frontalis Milne Edward, 1840 and four species of copepods such as Lernanthropus tylosuri Richiardi, 1880, Caligodes lacinatus Kroyer, 1863, Bomolochus bellones Burmeister, 1833 and Dermoergasilus coleus Cressey & Collette, 1970 was frequently noticed on spot-tail needlefish, Strongylura strongylura (Belonidae) captured from the Malabar coast (Kerala, India) during the period from April 2011 to March 2012. All the 43 fishes (Strongylura strongylura) collected, were under the hyper-infection with parasitic crustaceans; a total of 388 parasitic crustaceans including 57 C. frontalis, 252 L. tylosuri, 31 C. lacinatus, 24 B. bellones and 32 D. coleus were recovered from the host fish. 4 members (9.30%) of host fish were under quadruple parasitism, in two different combinations. Seventeen (39.53%) host fishes showed triple parasitism and 20 (46.51%) members exhibited double parasitism, with four and five parasitic combinations respectively. Remaining two (4.65%) fishes were parasitized only by the copepod, L. tylosuri. The infestations by all recovered parasitic crustaceans were highly site specific. The damage caused by the parasitic crustaceans was also discussed. © P - T Aneesh et al.

ZooKeys

Multiple parasitic crustacean infestation on belonid fish Strongylura strongylura

Seasonal fluctuation of the prevalence of cymothoids representing the genus Nerocila (Crustacea, Isopoda), parasitizing commercially exploited marine fishes from the Malabar Coast, India

The Journal of Phytopharmacology

Pharmacognostic evaluation and HPTLC fingerprinting of Pirantai Vatakam, a Siddha formulation

Journal	Data powered by TypesetActa Parasitologica
Publisher	Data powered by TypesetWalter de Gruyter GmbH
ISSN	1230-2821
Open Access	No