Isopod parasites in the family Cymothoidae can cause reduced growth, castration, or even mortality in their hosts. Olencira praegustator is a cymothoid that parasitizes the mouth and gill chamber of Brevoortia tyrannus (Atlantic menhaden), which is the basis for the largest fishery along the eastern coast of the USA and an important link within estuarine food webs. To better characterize interactions between O. praegustator and B. tyrannus, including parasite‐induced pathology, we sampled hosts and parasites from three estuarine sites on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Over 5 weeks, we collected, measured, and weighed 169 juvenile menhaden; remarkably, 96% of these fish were infected with O. praegustator, typically with one isopod found in the mouth of each host. Based on the external morphologies of 163 examined isopods, 58 were female (35.6%), 9 of which were gravid, and 105 were male (64.4%). Although fish size was unrelated to isopod length or mass, isopod length was a direct predictor of the amount of damage observed on the host operculum, which in severe cases involved tissue atrophy and hemorrhage. Considering the high infection prevalence, significant damage associated with infections, as well as the impairing effects of other cymothoids on their hosts, the consequences of interactions between B. tyrannus and O. praegustator warrant additional investigation for understanding the management and ecology of Atlantic menhaden.

中文翻译：

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大西洋鲨鱼中翼龙类寄生虫Olencira praegustator的感染率和病理

拟蝇科中的异足类寄生虫可导致其宿主的生长，去势下降甚至死亡。Olencira praegustator是一种寄生于翼龙（Brevoortia tyrannus）（大西洋猛禽）的翼龙类，它是美国东部沿海最大渔业的基础，也是河口食物网中的重要纽带。为了更好地表征O. praegustator和B. tyrannus之间的相互作用，包括寄生虫诱发的病理学，我们从南卡罗来纳州Kiawah岛的三个河口站点取样了宿主和寄生虫。在5周的时间里，我们收集，测量并称重了169个少年men鼠；值得注意的是，这些鱼中有96％感染了O. praegustator，通常在每个宿主的嘴中发现一个等足动物。根据检查的163个等足动物的外部形态，女性为58名（35.6％），其中妊娠为9个，男性为105个（64.4％）。尽管鱼的大小与等足动物的长度或质量无关，但等足动物的长度是宿主the盖上观察到的损伤量的直接预测指标，在严重情况下，involved盖会引起组织萎缩和出血。考虑到高的感染率，与感染，以及其他cymothoids对其主机上的限制效果，之间的相互作用的后果相关的显著损害B.泰兰努斯和O. praegustator权证进一步调查对于了解大西洋鲱管理和生态。