What is it about?
About 30 years ago, lionfish was introduced into the Western Atlantic. Now, local parasites have been using lionfish as a new host. An isopod, which has shown main preference to snappers, is first recorded having lionfish as a new host.
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Why is it important?
Relatively few isopod species have shown preference for the invasive lionfish. Our finding show that Cymothoa excisa has found in lionfish a new viable host. Now, it would be necessary to calculate the prevalence of this isopod in lionfish.
Perspectives
Hope this article contributes to the ecology of parasitic isopods by increasing the knowledge of isopod hosts. Also, I hope the articles is sheding some light into the ecology of an invasive fish which has been established in the Western Atlantic.
Alfonso Aguilar-Perera
Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: First record of the snapper-choking isopod Cymothoa excisa (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitizing invasive lionfish Pterois volitans (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae), Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, September 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0025315417001576.
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