Redescription and further report of two buccal attaching fish parasitic cymothoids, Ceratothoa carinata (Bianconi, 1869) and Cymothoa bychowskyi Avdeev, 1979 (Crustacea: Isopoda) with a new record from the southern India Ocean

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study reports two poorly known buccal-attaching fish-parasitic cymothoids, Ceratothoa carinata (Bianconi, 1869) and Cymothoa bychowskyi Avdeev, 1979, from Indian waters. Ceratothoa carinata (Bianconi, 1869) infesting the shortfin scad, Decapterus macrosoma (Bleeker, 1851) collected from the Malabar Coast, India, is redescribed and illustrated based on the ovigerous female. It appears to be the first record of this species from Indian waters. Further, the poorly known Cymothoa bychowskyi Avdeev, 1979 infesting the red cornetfish Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 collected from the south-west coast of India is redescribed and illustrated from female and male stages. An updated checklist of buccal-attaching fish-parasitic cymothoids is also provided.