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A Synoptic List of Argulids (Crustacea:Branchiura:Argulidae) of India


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1 Social Environmental and Biological Association (SEBA), Kolkata, India
     

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The branchiura commonly known as 'carp-lice' or 'fish lice' are a group of ectoparasitic crustaceans of uncertain positions within the class Maxillopoda and subclass Branchiura. They are usually found on fishes but a few species have also been reported from amphibians and invertebrates. They occasionally reach high in numbers and cause fish mortalities (Nandi and Das, 1991) in aquaculture operations and rarely in wild populations of fish. Often they become abundant in aquaria resulting in the death of ornamental fish. About 200 species of argulids are known world-wide. These are accommodated in six genera under the single family Argulidae in the order Arguloida, of which only a single genus occurs in India. The size of Argulus varies from few millimeters to over 30 mm long; females are usually somewhat larger in size than the males.
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  • A Synoptic List of Argulids (Crustacea:Branchiura:Argulidae) of India

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Authors

M. K. Dev Roy
Social Environmental and Biological Association (SEBA), Kolkata, India

Abstract


The branchiura commonly known as 'carp-lice' or 'fish lice' are a group of ectoparasitic crustaceans of uncertain positions within the class Maxillopoda and subclass Branchiura. They are usually found on fishes but a few species have also been reported from amphibians and invertebrates. They occasionally reach high in numbers and cause fish mortalities (Nandi and Das, 1991) in aquaculture operations and rarely in wild populations of fish. Often they become abundant in aquaria resulting in the death of ornamental fish. About 200 species of argulids are known world-wide. These are accommodated in six genera under the single family Argulidae in the order Arguloida, of which only a single genus occurs in India. The size of Argulus varies from few millimeters to over 30 mm long; females are usually somewhat larger in size than the males.

References