Chonopeltis

Chonopeltis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Ichthyostraca
Order: Arguloida
Family: Argulidae
Genus: Chonopeltis
Thiele, 1900

Chonopeltis is a genus of fish lice in the subclass Branchiura. These crustaceans are ectoparasitic freshwater fish host. Species of this genus are exclusively found in rivers in Africa.[1][2]

Description

Members of this genus do not grow any larger than a few millimetres. They have flat bodies covered by a carapace, and have two large suction cups, one on either side their heads. These suction cups are used to attach to their hosts. Chonopeltis feed on various tissues, including mucus, internal fluids, and sloughed-off scales.[3]

The genus Chonopeltis is distinguished from the genus Argulus due to its lack of a preoral spine and from Dolops by the presence of suckers rather than hooks.[4]

Reproduction and life cycle

Mating and larval development of Chonopeltis occur on the host. Gravid females do not leave the host to lay eggs, as they are poor swimmers.[5] This is in contrast to other members of the family Argulidae, who must leave their hosts to mate. Unlike many other crustaceans, female Chonopeltis do not carry the fertilised eggs in an egg sac, but they deposit their eggs on a substrate. To lay they eggs, the females do not leave the fish host, but lean off.[5]

Species

As of December, 2022, there are 12 species recognised in the genus Chonopeltis:[2]

The species Chonopeltis minutus may be extinct as it has not been observed since 1974.[6]

References

  1. ^ Van As, J. G. (1992). "A new species of Chonopeltis (Crustacea: Branchiura) from the Zambesi River System". Systematic Parasitology. 22 (3): 221–229. doi:10.1007/BF00009669.
  2. ^ a b "The World of Copepods - Chonopeltis Thiele, 1900". www.marinespecies.org.
  3. ^ "Introduction to the Branchiura". ucmp.berkeley.edu.
  4. ^ Swanepoel, J. H.; Avenant-Oldewage, A. (1993). "Functional morphology of the foregut of Chonopeltis australis Boxshall (Branchiura)". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 13 (4): 656. doi:10.2307/1549096.
  5. ^ a b Neethling, L. A. M.; Avenant-Oldewage, A. (2018). "Chonopeltis australis (Crustacea: Branchiura); the female reproductive system". Arthropod Structure & Development. 47 (3): 279–285. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2018.03.004.
  6. ^ Truter, M.; Přikrylová, I.; Hadfield, K.A.; Smit, N.J. (2023). "Working towards a conservation plan for fish parasites: Cyprinid parasites from the south African cape fold freshwater ecoregion as a case study". International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 21: 277–286. doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.07.003. PMC 10393515.