Isopods present on deep-water sharks Squalus cubensis and Heptranchias perlo from The Bahamas

Abstract

Isopods are micropredators of deep-water sharks; however, their associations are poorly described in the scientific literature. We present the association of three isopod genera Aega sp., Aegaphales sp., and Cirolana sp. with two species of deep-sea shark, the Cuban dogfish (Squalus cubensis) and the sharpnose sevengill (Heptranchias perlo). Although limited conclusions can be drawn from this observation, it provides a novel association of micropredatory isopods with two poorly studied species of deep-water shark.