Olencira praegustator (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) parasitic on Brevoortia species (Pisces, Clupeidae) from the southeastern coasts of North America: review and re-description

Abstract

The cymothoid isopod Olencira praegustator (Latrobe, 1802), the sole species of the genus Olencira Leach, 1818, has been the subject of several previous studies, but has remained incompletely described. This species is re-described and figured from the Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe, 1802), the type host from the estuarine systems of the South Carolina coast, USA. The general morphology, mouthparts and appendages of the female, male and other stages of its lifecycle are described.

The geographical distribution and hosts recorded for O. praegustator are reviewed. Biological data are summarized and discussed. Areas that need additional studies include the infection process and the effect of the parasite on its host.

Keywords:

• Biological remarks
• Brevoortia
• Cymothoidae
• life cycle
• Olencira praegustator
• parasitic isopoda
• South Carolina
• taxonomy

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to Dr Isaure de Buron (Department of Biology, College of Charleston, South Carolina, USA) and Bill Roumillat (Inshore Fisheries Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina, USA) for collecting the specimens and re-reading this manuscript. Many thanks to the anonymous reviewers and Dr E. Karlsbakk (Subject Editor) for their time in carefully reviewing this paper. I believe their positive comments substantially improved this article. Additionally, I thank Dr Danielle Defaye (National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France) for her help in listing and preserving some specimens.

Notes

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark