Parasites of the Gills and Buccal Cavity of the Dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus, from the Straits of Florida

Abstract

Parasites were studied from the gill and buccal areas of 145 dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, caught in the Straits of Florida. Dolphin were infested with a digenetic trematode, Bathycotyl branchialis Darr, and copepods, Charopinopsis quaternius Wilson, Caligus belones Krøyer, C. bonito Wilson, C. coryphaenae Steenstrup and Lutken, C. patulus Wilson, C. productus Dana, C. quadratus Shiino, and Euryphorus nordmanni Milne-Edwards. Parasite-mix, incidence, and intensity of infestation increased with increase in host size except that Caligus bonito and Charopinopsis quaternius were not found on fish larger than 1,000 mm. No significant relationships were found between host sex and parasite-mix, incidence, and intensity of infestation. Seven pairs of parasite species showed either positively or negatively significant interrelationships. C. hippurus is a new host record for Caligus bonito, C. patulus and Bathycotyl branchialis.