Quatrefoil light traps for free-swimming stages of cymothoid parasitic isopods and seasonal variation in their species compositions in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan.

ABSTRACT: Cymothoid parasitic isopods infest a wide range of fish of different taxa living in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Most research on the reproductive season of Cymothoidae has been done by collecting or monitoring host fish afflicted with cymothoid parasites. However, collecting ecological data on cymothoid species that infest non-commercial or endangered fishes is complex and challenging. We used a quatrefoil light trap to investigate the seasonal change in species composition of cymothoid free-swimming stages in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. We also collected preliminary data for efficient light-trap sampling and showed its effectiveness in cymothoid-related research. From October 2020 to December 2021, 613 cymothoid free-swimming stages were sampled monthly. All obtained in

SUBMITTER: Fujita H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9800258 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature