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Checklist of Parasitic Isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda) Infesting Marine Decapod and Fishes Off Mexico’s Coasts

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Abstract

Herein, a checklist of parasitic isopods infesting marine decapod and fishes off Mexico’s coasts is presented. Using information based upon a thorough review of published papers in databases, the checklist was structured by order, suborder, superfamily, family, and species of isopods, along with host species, attachment site and damage in the host, and the locality. A total of 33 parasitic isopod species were listed, with 24 species of the family Bopyridae infesting 30 decapod species and 9 species of the families Aegidae, Ancinidae, and Cymothoidae infesting 18 fish species. Regionally, the Bopyrid species were reported from the southern Gulf of Mexico, from Veracruz to Yucatan, with 11 species, the Mexican Caribbean, Quintana Roo, with 7, and the Mexican Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Guerrero, with 3 species. The Cymothoid species were reported in fish hosts from the southern Gulf of Mexico with 7 species, and Mexican Pacific with 2 species. The low number of parasitic isopod species presented in this checklist calls the attention to examine more host species, including commercially important fish.

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Acknowledgements

I acknowledge Dr. Gary C.B. Poore by providing updated information about the number of isopod species worldwide.

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  1. Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, de Yucatan, México

    Alfonso Aguilar-Perera

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Aguilar-Perera, A. Checklist of Parasitic Isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda) Infesting Marine Decapod and Fishes Off Mexico’s Coasts. Thalassas 38, 113–121 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-021-00336-x

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