Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

10-1981

Journal

Biological Bulletin

Volume

161

Issue

2

First Page

281

Last Page

290

Abstract

Diclidophora nezumiae sp. n. is described from the gills of the rat-tail fish Nezumia bairdii (Goode and Bean, 1877) taken from the environs of Hudson Submarine Canyon in the northwest Atlantic. The host-parasite relationships were studied in the host population. The new species is most similar to small species of Diclidophora having short bodies that taper to maximum width at the level of the first pair of clamps. It may be differentiated from other species by the following: clamps wider than long, noticeably decreasing in size posteriorly; lamellate extension of sclerite b does not fuse with sclerite c1; unsclerotized diaphragm; a relatively small clamp sucker; 10-13 cirrus hooks; 10-30 intercecal, postovarian testes; Unilobed seminal receptacle; filamented eggs; and body dimensions. Of 378 N. bairdii specimens examined, 106 (28%) were infected with 1-21 D. nezumiae per host. The parasite occurred most frequently on filaments of the first gill arch. Infected fish ranged from 61-428mm in total length. They were collected at depths of 300-1900 m. Both incidence and intensity of infection were greater for hosts collected between 700- 1000 m. Depth of capture of the host was more strongly correlated with fish abundance than with fish size.

DOI

10.2307/1540804

Download

Share Feedback

Share

COinS