New records of parasitic copepod (Crustacea, Siphonostomatoida, Pennellidae) found on the body surface of two cetacean species in China.

Abstract

Pennellabalaenoptera Koren & Danielssen, 1877 (Crustacea, Siphonostomatoida, Pennellidae) is so far known as the largest copepod species and has only been found as a parasite on marine mammals. Previous studies on parasitic copepods in China only focused on those found on economic fishes, no records of P.balaenoptera having ever been reported before. A Bryde's whale (Balaenopteraedeni Anderson, 1879) and a pygmy sperm whale [Kogiabreviceps (Blainville, 1838)] were respectively stranded on the eastern and southern coast of China in 2021 and 2022. A total of eight parasitic copepods found on their body surface were sampled and examined. The parasites were identified as Pennellabalaenoptera, based on morphological characteristics and measurements. Descriptions and photomicrographs of this newly-recorded species from China are given in the present study.