Journal of Environment and Sociobiology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

On a New Host Record of Nerocila Poruvae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) from West Bengal


Affiliations
1 Crustacea Section, Zoological Survey of India, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata - 700016, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Members of the genus Nerocila (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) are well known ectoparasites on marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes and even on aquatic snakes. These are represented by 14 species from India. Several workers studied these parasitic isopods from Indian coasts (Schiödte and Meinert, 1881; Barnard, 1936; Chidambaram and Menon, 1945; Pillai, 1954, 1960; Bal and Joshi, 1959; Ramakrishna and Venkataramaniah, 1978; Jayadev Babu and Sanjeeva Raj, 1980; Jalajakumari et al., 1987; Bruce and Harrison-Nelson, 1988; Ghatak, 1998; Ravichandran et al., 2001; Kensley, 2001; Rajkumar et al., 2006; Rameshkumar and Ravichandran, 2010; Rameshkumar et al., 2011). A total of 22 species were recorded as hosts for these isopod parasites from the Indian region. In this communication, a new host, namely, Setipinna tenuifilis Valenciennes (Family Engraulidae) for the isopod parasite, Nerocila poruvae Rameshkumar, Ravichandran and Trilles, 2011(Figs. 1 and 2) is reported from West Bengal coast (Bakkhali and Digha) along with comprehensive parasite-host and locality records of all the 14 species hitherto known from India (Table 1). This species was described earlier from the fish Thryssa mystax at Vedaranyam coast of South India by Rameshkumar et al. (2011). As such, this is the second report of this species from India with its extended distribution further northwards up to West Bengal.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Bal, D. V. and Joshi, V. N. 1959. Some new isopod parasites on fishes. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 56(3): 563 – 569.

  • Barnard, K.H. 1936. Isopoda collected by R.I.M.S. ‘Investigator’. Rec. Indian Mus., 38: 147–191.

  • Bruce, N. L. and Harrison-Nelson, E. B. 1988. New records of fish parasitic marine isopod crustaceans (Cymothoidae, subfamily Anilocrinae) from the Indo-West Pacific. Proc. biol. Soc. Wash., 101(3): 585-602.

  • Chidambaram, K. and Menon, M. D. 1945. The isopod parasite, Nerocila sundaica on west coast food fishes. Curr. Sci., 14(11): 308.

  • Ghatak, S. 1998. Crustacea : Isopoda. State Fauna Series 3 : Fauna of West Bengal, Part 10 : 315-327. Zool. Surv. India.

  • Jajajakumari, C., Hanumantha Rao, K., and Shymasundari, K. 1987. A new isopod of the genus Nerocila Leach (Crustacea: Isopoda: Flabellifera) parasitic on marine fishes of Waltair coast. Revista Iberica de Parasitologia, v. 47(4): 413-417.

  • Jayadev Babu, S. and Sanjeeva Raj, P. J. 1980. Isopod parasites of fish of Pulicat lake. Proc. Symp. Coastal Aquaculture (Finfish), 3: 818-823.

  • Kensley, B. 2001. Biogeography of the marine isopoda of the Indian occean, with a checklist of species and records. In : Crustacean Issues, 13 : 205-266. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

  • Pillai, N. K. 1954. A preliminary note on the Tanaidacea and Isopoda of Travancore. Bull. Res. Inst. Univ. Travancore, 3: 1 – 21.

  • Pillai, N. K. 1960. Ectoproctan-Coelenterate association: an example of unpurposeful inquilinism ? J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 57(3): 693-694.

  • Rajkumar, M., Perumal, P. and Trilles, J. P. 2006. On the occurrence of a double parasitism (copepod and isopod) on the anchovy fish in India. J. Environ. Biol., 27(3) : 613-614.

  • Ramakrishna, G. and Venkataramaniah, P. 1978. A new cymothoid of the genus Nerocila from Madras. Bull. zool. Surv. India, 1(2): 177 – 180.

  • Rameshkumar, G. and Ravichandran, S. 2010. New host record, Rastrelliger kanagurta for Nerocila phaeopleura parasites (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae). Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 5: 54-56.

  • Rameshkumar, G., Ravichandran, S. and Trilles, J. P. 2011. Cymothoidae (Crustacea: Isopoda) from Indian fishes. Acta Parasitologica, 56(1): 78-91, figs. 1-7.

  • Ravichandran, S., Ranjit Singh, A. J. A. and Veerappan, N. 2001. Parasite-induced vibrosis in Chirocentrus dorab off Parangipettai coastal waters. Curr. Sci., 80(5): 622-623.

  • Sanjeeva Raj, P. J. 2006. Macrofauna of Pulicat Lake. NBA Scientific Bulletin Number, 6, pp. 1-67. National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Schiödte, J. C. and Meinert, F. 1881. Symbolae ad Monographiam Cymothoram Crustaceorum Isopodum Familiae 2. Anilocridae. Nat. Tids., (3), 13: 1-166.


Abstract Views: 272

PDF Views: 0




  • On a New Host Record of Nerocila Poruvae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) from West Bengal

Abstract Views: 272  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

M. K. Dev Roy
Crustacea Section, Zoological Survey of India, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata - 700016, India
S. Mitra
Crustacea Section, Zoological Survey of India, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata - 700016, India
A. Gokul
Crustacea Section, Zoological Survey of India, 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata - 700016, India

Abstract


Members of the genus Nerocila (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) are well known ectoparasites on marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes and even on aquatic snakes. These are represented by 14 species from India. Several workers studied these parasitic isopods from Indian coasts (Schiödte and Meinert, 1881; Barnard, 1936; Chidambaram and Menon, 1945; Pillai, 1954, 1960; Bal and Joshi, 1959; Ramakrishna and Venkataramaniah, 1978; Jayadev Babu and Sanjeeva Raj, 1980; Jalajakumari et al., 1987; Bruce and Harrison-Nelson, 1988; Ghatak, 1998; Ravichandran et al., 2001; Kensley, 2001; Rajkumar et al., 2006; Rameshkumar and Ravichandran, 2010; Rameshkumar et al., 2011). A total of 22 species were recorded as hosts for these isopod parasites from the Indian region. In this communication, a new host, namely, Setipinna tenuifilis Valenciennes (Family Engraulidae) for the isopod parasite, Nerocila poruvae Rameshkumar, Ravichandran and Trilles, 2011(Figs. 1 and 2) is reported from West Bengal coast (Bakkhali and Digha) along with comprehensive parasite-host and locality records of all the 14 species hitherto known from India (Table 1). This species was described earlier from the fish Thryssa mystax at Vedaranyam coast of South India by Rameshkumar et al. (2011). As such, this is the second report of this species from India with its extended distribution further northwards up to West Bengal.

References