Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences
Abstract
Cymothoidae are cosmopolitan, ubiquitous, and nonspecific parasites of fish of different biotopes causing a significant economic loss to fisheries either by killing and stunting or simply by damaging their hosts. This study represents the first record of Mothocya melanosticta from the Red Sea, with a new host record in Myripristis murdjan (pinecone soldierfish), the other resident species of the fish-parasitic isopod family Cymothoidae in Egypt. The recovered Mothocya melanosticta was of moderate body size (17.7 × 8.2 mm) and had a cephalon with widely truncated rostrum, short pleotelson with uropod rami not extending beyond the telson, and the presence of a small rounded protrusion ranging in size from 0.3 to 0.5 mm on the lateral side of pereonite II. The overall prevalence was 31.25% and it was only found in the branchial cavity. The monthly and seasonal variation in infestation is reported.
DOI
10.3906/vet-0907-130
Keywords
Egypt, Mothocya melanosticta, Myripristis murdjan, prevalence, Red Sea
First Page
577
Last Page
584
Recommended Citation
ELSHAHAWY, I. S, & DESOUKY, A. Y (2012). First record of Mothocya melanosticta Schioedte and Meinert, 1884 (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) from Egyptian pinecone soldierfish with special reference to its infestation status. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences 36 (6): 577-584. https://doi.org/10.3906/vet-0907-130
