Lepeophtheirus pectoralis

Lepeophtheirus pectoralis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Copepoda
Order: Siphonostomatoida
Family: Caligidae
Genus: Lepeophtheirus
Species:
L. pectoralis
Binomial name
Lepeophtheirus pectoralis
Synonyms
  • Lernaea pectoralis Müller, 1776
  • Caligus pectoralis (Müller, 1776)

Lepeophtheirus pectoralis is a species of parasitic copepod from the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and the type species of the genus Lepeophtheirus.[1] It is a parasite of flatfish, with the European flounder (Platichthys flesus), the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), and the dab (Limanda limanda) as the most frequent hosts.[2] It feeds on the mucus, skin, and blood of the fish, with egg-producing females infecting the pectoral and pelvic fins of the host, while immature individuals and males are found on the rest of the body.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference WORMS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Boxshall, Geoff (1976). "The host specificity of Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller) (Copepoda: Caligidae)". Journal of Fish Biology. 8 (3): 255. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1976.tb03949.x.
  3. ^ Boxshall, Geoff (1974). "Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (O.F. Müller); a description, a review and some comparisons with the genus Caligus Müller, 1785". Journal of Natural History. 8 (4): 445–468. doi:10.1080/00222937400770381.