Abstract

Bopyrid parasitic isopods (family Bopyridae Rafinesque) are unique and well known to utilize marine crustaceans as both intermediate and definitive host during their life cycle 1,2 . The family Bopyridae is the largest and highly diverse group with 605 species under 8 subfamilies 2,3 . The males are smaller than females (exhibiting reverse sexual dimorphism) and are attached to the ventral posterior region of the female abdomen 4 . Bopyrids used to infest either branchially or abdominally on a variety of crustaceans including brachyurans, anomurans, penaeids and carideans 1,2,5–7 . Infestation of parasites has deleterious effects on host such as reduction in growth, energy and mainly resulting in reproductive failures 8–11 . It can also affect the escape response of host to predators 12 . Extensive studies have revealed bopyrid parasite infestation on caridean shrimps 3 . However, the infestation of parasite on Stenopodidean shrimps has been rarely documented 10,13–15 . The present contribution is one such rare observation on the infestation of bopyrid isopod parasite on the marine ornamental shrimp Stenopus hispidus from Lakshadweep.

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