Parasite ID help?

[Frank O]

Hi all, I just got back from 9 days in the Virgin Islands, where I noticed a lot of reef fish with what appeared to be parasites on one or both cheeks. Here, for example, is a shot of a red hind:

http://www.inkbox.net/stjohn/redhind2.jpg

Can anyone tell me anything about these parasites, or point me to a source of more information on them?

 

[archman]

I forget which genus that variety belongs to. I'm so ashamed...

They don't harm the fish any, which makes them a TRUE parasite. This particular isopod type has an affinity for specific body regions of it's host fish. On solderfishes for example one likes to sit between the eyes. Other fishes you get one under each eye.

I think the way it works is that only the female isopods get big enough to visually distinguish and exhibit this body region specificity. My notes are on a different computer, so I may be wrong.

 

[jlyle]

They don't harm the fish any, which makes them a TRUE parasite.

The one that lives on the soldierfish is:

Anilocra laticaudata

I think it depends on your definition of "harm." The isopod burrows into the flesh of the host fish and lives on the blood and bodily fluids. While this may not kill the host, I wouldn't consider it to be harmless.

There's even one isopod that eats the tongue of the host fish and then serves as a substitute tongue. Ugh.

Tongue-eating isopod, Cymothoa exigua

"This isopod causes degeneration of the tongue of its host fish the rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, and it then attaches to the remaining tongue stub and floor of the fish's mouth by hook-like pereopods. In this position the isopod superficially resembles its host's missing tongue. Brusca & Gilligan (1983) hypothesize that these isopods serve as a mechanical replacement for the fish's tongue and represent the first known case in animals of functional replacement of a host structure by a parasite."

Just my humble opinion.

 

[archman]

Ha ha, Anilocra is a spin-off from the infamous "caroline" isopod genera. The dude who first differentiated them named them by rearranging the letters of his wife's first name. Hence great-sounding names like Nerocila, Rocinela, Lironeca, and Olencira. Anilocra and Cirolana spell out "carolina", a slight tweaking.

 

[DocVikingo]

Not sure why this was posted in the Scuba Diving Destinations section, but I have take the liberty to moving it to the more appropriate Marine Life forum.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[StingRob]

I've seen couple of pictures of this vampire. Apparently this parasite is "Anilocra laticaudata". This parasitic isopod is called the “vampire” of the sea. It hitches itself to a host, and lives off of its blood and fluid. Adult grows up to 1" and these are common to all the oceans, from shallow water to deep ocean basins.
Parasitic isopods are often referred to as “sea lice.” They are generally identified by their preferred host victim. This species favors the Blackbar Soldierfish, attaching itself to the head and gill area.

Hi all, I just got back from 9 days in the Virgin Islands, where I noticed a lot of reef fish with what appeared to be parasites on one or both cheeks. Here, for example, is a shot of a red hind:

http://www.inkbox.net/stjohn/redhind2.jpg

Can anyone tell me anything about these parasites, or point me to a source of more information on them?

 

[archman]

I can almost positively assert that A. laticaudata is NOT found in deep ocean basins. What source printed that up?