Lernaeenicus sprattae
Lernaeenicus sprattae | |
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Lernaeenicus sprattae on host European sprat | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Copepoda |
Order: | Siphonostomatoida |
Family: | Pennellidae |
Genus: | Lernaeenicus |
Species: | L. sprattae
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Binomial name | |
Lernaeenicus sprattae | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Lernaeenicus sprattae is a species of copepod in the family Pennellidae. It is a parasite of the European sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and certain other fish and is sometimes known as the sprat eye-maggot.[3]
Distribution
Lernaeenicus sprattae is a parasite of the European sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in northwestern Europe and the European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) in southwestern Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea.[4]
Ecology
This copepod has a large number of developmental-stages, some free-living and some parasitic. Two
Pathology
The copepod commonly burrows into the eye of the host, causing damage to the retina and cornea. The fish's vision is reduced and it may be blinded. Copepods can also attach to the flank of the fish by piercing it with its clawed limbs. The host's immune response causes inflammation of the surrounding tissue and further secures the parasite's hold. The parasite feeds on the host's blood and lysed cells.[6]
The loss of nutrients from the copepod feeding on blood and lysed cells is not enough to kill the fish; instead the host usually dies as a result of the copepod's physical attachment. Infected fish were observed to be slower than uninfected fish, likely due to reduced vision and blindness, which make it harder for the infected fish to escape predation. Disruption in blood flow from parasite feeding and physical difficulty moving due to the location of parasite attachment on the body also contribute to a loss of agility in infected fish.[4]
References
- ^ a b Boxshall, Geoff (2018). "Lernaeenicus sprattae (Sowerby, 1806)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
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- ^ a b El Gharbi, Salwa; Rousset, Viviane; Raibaut, André (December 1983). "Biology of Lernaeenicus sprattae (Sowerby, 1806) and its pathogenic effects on pilchard populations from the coasts of Languedoc-Roussillon (French Mediterranean)". Revue des Travaux de l'Institut des Pêches Maritimes. 47: 191–201 – via Archimer.
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- ISSN 0031-1820.
External links
- Media related to Lernaeenicus sprattae at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Lernaeenicus sprattae at Wikispecies