Gill parasites of the Spot Leiostomus-xanthurus from Clear Lake Texas.

Date

1976

Authors

Joy, J.E.

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Abstract

Parasites (6 spp.) were recovered from the gills of Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, from the brackish waters of Clear Lake, Texas. Of 556 spot examined from September 1970 - August 1971, 414(72.7%) were parasitized by 1 or more species of Protozoa (Kudoa branchiata); Trematoda (Heteraxinoides xanthopilus); Copepoda (Ergasilus lizae); Isopoda (Lironeca redmanni, Anilocra acuta, Cymothoa excisa). This is the initial report of these isopod species from the spot; and they, along with H. xanthophilus, were recovered from fish along the Texas coast for the first time. Prevalence of parasites associated with the spot was E. lizae, 63.3%; H. xanthophilus, 13.5%; K. branchiata 5.8%; and all isopods, 5.8%. Mean number of parasites of protozoan cysts per host was generally low and, for the isopods, damaged the gills little or not at all. While population fluctuations of E. lizae were correlated with temperature, population variations of other parasite species were not related to temperature of salinity. Prevalence and mean number of E. lizae individuals declined as fish length increased. Prevalence of H. xanthopilus increased in fish over 160 mm. long.

Description

p. 63-68.

Keywords

brackishwater fish, spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, parasitism, parasites, hosts, Kudoa branchiata, Heteraxinoides xanthophilus

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