A Survey of Parasitic Copepods in Marine Fishes from the Gulf of Thailand, Chon Buri Province

Abstract

A survey of parasitic copepods was carried out at the Gulf of Thailand, Chon Buri province between 2006-2007. A total of 18 genera, 39 species of copepodid parasite were found on 61 marine fish species as follows; Abasia sp., Brachiella lutiani, Brachiella sp., Caligus hamruri, Caligus spp., Clavellisa dussumieria, Ergasilus spp., Hatschekia caudate, Hatchekia sp., Hermilius pyriventris, Holobomolochus sp., Taeniacanthus sp., Lepeophtheirus spp., Lernanthropus opisthopteri, Lernanthropus sciaenid, Lernanthropus forficatus, Lernanthropus spp., Naobranchia sp., Nothobomolochus sp., Parapetalus occidentalis, Protochondracanthus spp., Pseudocongericola sp., Orbitacolax sp. and Synestius caliginus. Caligus spp. had the highest number of species (10 species from 9 fish species), followed by Lernanthropus spp. and Ergasilus spp. which found 6 and 4 species from 5 and 4 fishes, respectively. The prevalence and mean intensity of Hatschekia caudate in Lutianus vitta were highest number with 82% and 136.57, respectively. The presence of Naobranchia sp. on Therapon jarbua, Pseudocongericola sp. on Muraenesox sp., Clavellisa dussumieria on Dussumieria hasseltii, Hermilius pyriventris on Arius sp. and Parapetalus occidentalis on Rachycentron canadum are the new record in Thailand.