Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Crustacea Order Poecilostomatoida Scientific name Abergasilus amplexus Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Subclass Copepoda Family Ergasilidae Higher classification Abergasilus | |
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Similar Henneguya zschokkei, Dactylogyrus vastator, Sphaerothecum destruens, Pseudorhabdosynochus, Ceratomyxa shasta | ||
Abergasilus amplexus is a species of parasitic copepod endemic to euryhaline habitats in New Zealand. It is the only known species in the genus Abergasilus.
Contents
Description
This species is unique among ergasilids in that it only has three pairs of legs: the fourth and fifth pairs are reduced to single spines or are completely absent. The second antenna is very distinctive, hooks on the last and penultimate segments creating an obviously claw-like structure, more obvious in the female. The male is free-living, forming part of the plankton. Both sexes have an average length of 0.5 mm.
Hosts
The main host appears to be Anguilla australis: in Lake Ellesmere, infestation rates on this eel approach 100%, sometimes with over 100 parasites on the gills of a single fish. Other recorded host species include Anguilla dieffenbachii, Arripis trutta, Carassius auratus, Galaxias maculatus, Perca fluviatilis, Pseudophycis bachus, Retropinna retropinna, Rhombosolea leporina, Rhombosolea plebeia and Rhombosolea retiaria.