Abstract
A preliminary study on the interaction between the parasitic barnacle Loxothylacus texanus and two of its host species, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus and the dark blue crab C. rathbunae, in the Gulf of Mexico is presented. Data were obtained from 923 crabs, 162 C. sapidus and 761 C. rathbunae, deposited in the Colección de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), that were collected in 14 coastal lagoons and sites along the Mexican coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The distribution of L. texanus parasitizing each one of the host species, mean host size variation, distribution of number of parasite externae per host, and morphological modifications of the abdomen of the hosts are analyzed.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.