Abstract
Abstract Originally perceived as siphonostome copepods, the branchiurans, or fish lice, separate phylogenetic status finds strong support from molecular sequences. Only 159 species are known, but this is likely an underestimate; the genus Argulus alone has 129 species. Branchiurans are distinctly flattened and not very large (4–15 mm), possess only a rudimentary abdomen at best, and the thinness of cuticles. Some species begin their development as metanauplii (with seven to nine stages), others as juveniles. They lack a fossil record, and the persistent myth that they are related to the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Cyclida is quite false. Molecular phylogeny based on 16S, 18S, and 28S rRNA links them to another parasitic group, Pentastomida.
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