| Ergasilus | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Ergasilus sp. females with one pair of eggs each on gills of northern pike | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Copepoda |
| Order: | Cyclopoida |
| Family: | Ergasilidae |
| Genus: | Ergasilus Nordmann, 1832 [1] |
| Species | |
See text | |
Ergasilus is a genus of copepod crustaceans occurring in both the ocean and fresh water, often called gill lice. The females are parasitic upon the gills of fishes. Being copepods, gill lice have a single median eye on their head. The second antennae are modified into prehensile pincers. Male gill lice are free-living. [2]
Species include: [1]