Occurrence of Isopod Parasite Nerocila phaiopleura Bleeker, 1857
in Stolephorus rex Jordan & Seale 1926 from the Rushikulya River
Estuary, India is an Extension of Host Range
Authors:
Pranab Gogoi, Das BK*, Das SK, Mahapatra A, Jaiswar AK, Panikkar P and Ramteke K
Author Affiliations
Pranab Gogoi ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, India
The Cymothoid isopod parasite Nerocila phaiopleura (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) was recorded from the host Stolephorus rex (Teleostei: Engraulidae) in the upper Rushikulya estuary, Odisha coast in February 2022. The recent record of N. phaiopleura from the fish species S. rex is acclaimed as the first report for this host from the river-estuary and the Odisha coast, coupled with the extension of its habitat to the riverine environment, where salinity meets (0.64±0.36 ‰). Its presence in low-salinity environments further suggests that the parasite is adaptable to freshwater environments, including broad thermal tolerance.