Abstract
Abstract The Indo-West Pacific commensal scaleworm Gastrolepidia clavigera Schmarda, 1861 is here recorded for the first time from the waters of Vietnam. It was associated with the sea cucumbers Stichopus chloronotus Brandt, S. variegatus Semper, Holothuria atra Jaeger, H. leucospilota Brandt and Actinopyga echinites (Jaeger). The last two species are reported as hosts for the first time. Each host harboured 1–3 worms. About half of the infested hosts (51.4%) harboured a pair of worms, one male and one female. The frequency of occurrence of G. clavigera on hosts varied from 31.9% on A. echinites to 80.0% on S. variegatus. Infested hosts were larger than non-infested ones. A sexual size dimorphism is characteristic of G. clavigera, with females larger than males. A positive correlation between size of males and females from every pair was found; a correlation between size of holothurian hosts and size of their commensals was not observed. Commensal worms show two main types of trauma, which are described a...
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