Ergasilidae
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Abergasilus |
Ergasilidae is a widespread and species–rich family of copepods, parasitic on both marine and freshwater fishes, but are primarily found to be parasitic to freshwater fish. The hosts gill filaments are used by Ergasilus spp. to cling to. The females are usually found hanging on to the host by attaching their antennae to the host's gills. When Ergasilus spp. are detached from the host's gills they are able to swim around the water without difficulty. Since the Ergasilus spp. use the fish's gills to cling to, a heavy infestation of this particular parasite can cause severe damage to the hosts gill tissue, interfere with respiration, cause secondary infections, and lead to death of the host(Roberts, et al. 2005). Ergasilus spp. males are found to be planktonic and it is known that females are fertilized prior to attaching themselves to the host's gills. For the most part, females are the only parasitic organisms under this genus. There is, however, a species under this genus called E. chautauquaensis that might be the only nonparasitic species (Roberts, et al. 2005).
Genera include Abergasilus, Dermoergasilus, Ergasilus, Neoergasilus, Nipergasilus, Paraergasilus and Thersitina.
[edit] References
- Ergasilidae (TSN 88598). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- G. C. Hewitt (1978). Abergasilus amplexus gen. et sp. nov. (Ergasilidae; parasitic Copepoda) from fishes in Lake Ellesmere, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 12 (2): 173–177.
- Roberts, L and Janovy, J (2005). Gerald D. Schmidt & Larry S. Robert's Foundations of Parasitology. 537-538.
