Redescription and molecular characterisation of the fish parasitic isopod Norileca indica (Milne Edwards, 1840) (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) with a key to the genus

Serita Van Der Wal,Nico J Smit,Kerry A Hadfield

doi:10.1080/15627020.2017.1382389

Serita Van Der Wal, Nico J Smit + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2017.1382389

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Abstract

Norileca indica (Milne Edwards, 1840) is fully redescribed based on ovigerous females collected from Maputo Bay, Mozambique, from the branchial cavity of the fish host Selar crumenophthalmus Bloch, 1793. An identification key to the species of Norileca Bruce, 1990 is given. Furthermore, a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene from N. indica was sequenced for the first time. This is the first molecular characterisation of a species of Norileca.

Highlights

Species of Norileca Bruce, 1990 inhabit the branchial cavity of fish hosts and are commonly recorded from pelagic fishes (Rameshkumar et al 2015)
Specimens of N. triangulata have since been recorded from Australia, from the branchial cavity of the sailfin flyingfish, Parexocoetus brachypterus Richardson, 1846 and Sardinella gibbosa Bleeker, 1849 (Bruce 1990)
Species descriptions were made with the aid of the taxonomy software package DELTA (Descriptive Language for Taxonomy), following a general Cymothoidae character data set originally developed by Hadfield et al (2013) and recently updated (Hadfield et al 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Species of Norileca Bruce, 1990 inhabit the branchial cavity of fish hosts and are commonly recorded from pelagic fishes (Rameshkumar et al 2015). There are three known species: Norileca borealis Javed & Yasmeen, 1999, N. triangulata Richardson, 1910 and N. indica (Milne Edwards, 1840). Specimens of N. triangulata have since been recorded from Australia (from Cape York, Great Barrier Reef and south-eastern Queensland), from the branchial cavity of the sailfin flyingfish, Parexocoetus brachypterus Richardson, 1846 and Sardinella gibbosa Bleeker, 1849 (Bruce 1990). Norileca indica was originally described by Milne Edwards (1840) as Livoneca indica. It was later redescribed by Bruce (1990) and transferred to the genus Norileca. This paper presents a detailed redescription of the male, as well as the first molecular characterisation of this species and genus, using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene

Methods

Discussion

48. St Albans