Nerocila | |
---|---|
Nerocila armata on Synodus synodus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Crustacea |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Superorder: | Peracarida |
Order: | Isopoda |
Family: | Cymothoidae |
Genus: | Nerocila Leach, 1818 |
Type species | |
Nerocila blainvillei Leach, 1818 | |
Species | |
42 species (see text) |
Nerocila is a genus of parasitic isopod crustaceans, [1] [2] with 11 species, which have been found parasitizing Indian marine fishes. [3]
The 42 recognized species are: [1]
The Hyperiidea are a suborder of amphipods, small aquatic crustaceans. Unlike the other suborders of Amphipoda, hyperiids are exclusively marine and do not occur in fresh water. Hyperiids are distinguished by their large eyes and planktonic habitat. Most species of hyperiids are parasites or predators of salps and jellyfish in the plankton, although Themisto gaudichaudii and a few relatives are free-swimming predators of copepods and other small planktonic animals.
Sphaeromatidae is a family of isopods, often encountered on rocky shores and in shelf waters in temperate zones. The family includes almost 100 genera and 619 known marine species. Within these genera, there are groups that share distinctive morphologies; further research may reclassify these genus-groups as separate families.
The Cymothoidae are a family of isopods in the suborder Cymothoida found in both marine and freshwater environments. Cymoithoids are ectoparasites, usually of fish, and they include the bizarre "tongue-biter", which attaches to a fish's tongue, causing it to atrophy, and replaces the tongue with its own body. Ceratothoa oestroides is one of the most devastating ectoparasites in Mediterranean aquaculture. Around 40 genera and more than 380 species of cymothoid are recognised. Species of the Cymothoidae are generally found in warmer waters and rarely in the cool and cold climates.
Iais is a genus of isopod crustaceans. Iais species are found in association with larger isopods of the family Sphaeromatidae, usually on the ventral surface of the larger animal, between the pereiopods and on the pleopods. They are native to Australasia and South America, although Iais californica and its host Sphaeroma quoyanum have invaded California, and I. californica was first described from Sausalito, California. Nine species are recognised:
Idotea is a genus of isopod crustaceans, mostly from cold temperate waters. The taxonomy of the genus is still in doubt, and many of the currently recognised species may be taxonomic synonyms, and others may be moved to different genera.
The Cirolanidae are a family of isopod crustaceans, including these genera:
Cymothoida is the name of a suborder of isopod crustaceans with a mostly carnivorous or parasitic lifestyle. It contains more than 2,700 described species in four superfamilies. Members of the suborder are characterised by their specialised mouthparts which include a mandible with a tooth-like process which is adapted for cutting or slicing.
Cymothoa is a genus of parasitic isopod crustaceans, containing the species listed below. Not all Cymothoa species are considered parasitic. Some climb onto fish in an act known as phoresy.
Gnathia is a genus of isopod crustaceans, containing the following species:
Asellus is a genus of isopod crustaceans in the family Asellidae.
The Bopyridae are a family of isopod crustaceans in the suborder Cymothoida. There are 1223 individual species contained in this family. Members of the family are ectoparasites of crabs and shrimp. They live in the gill cavities or under the carapace where they cause a noticeable swelling. Fossil crustaceans have occasionally been observed to have a similar characteristic bulge.
Chiridotea is a genus of isopod crustaceans in the family Chaetiliidae, containing the following species:
The Aegidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. The adults are temporary parasites of fish, feeding on their hosts' blood before dropping off to digest the meal. They differ from members of the family Cirolanidae in having only three pairs of hook-like pereiopods, whereas in Cirolanidae all seven pairs of pereiopods are hooked. The family was first described by Adam White in 1850 and contains the following genera:
Cirolana is a genus of isopod crustaceans.
Exosphaeroma is a genus of marine isopod of the family Sphaeromatidae. This genus is found in shallow ocean waters worldwide. It is notable for being one of the few genera of sphaeromatid to be found in the southern reaches of the Southern Ocean. The greatest diversity of Exosphaeroma occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.
Aega is a genus of isopods in the family Aegidae, containing the following species:
Elthusa is a genus of isopods in the family Cymothoidae, with more than 30 described species.
Ceratothoais a genus of isopod ectoparasites of teleost fish, first described by James Dwight Dana in 1852. Infection by Ceratothoa can cause anaemia, lesions, growth retardation, emaciation, and mortality in their fish hosts.
Rocinela is a genus of isopods in the family Aegidae, and was first described in 1818 by William Elford Leach. The type species is Rocinela danmoniensis Leach, 1818.