Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Crustacea Subclass Copepoda Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Class Maxillopoda Order Siphonostomatoida | |
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Similar Copepod, Lepeophtheirus, Lernaeocera, Lernaeocera branchialis, Pennellidae | ||
Lepeophtheirus pectoralis is a species of parasitic copepod. It is a parasite of flatfish, the most frequent hosts being the European flounder, Platichthys flesus, the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa and the dab, Limanda limanda. It feeds on the mucus, skin and blood of the fish, with oviferous females being found in the pectoral and pelvic fins of the host, while immature individuals and males are found in the rest of the body.
Life cycle
Its life cycle consists of five phases and ten stages. The first two stages are free swimming nauplius I and II, while the third stage is the copepodid stage, during which attaches itself to the fish. Stages IV, V, VI and VII are the chalimus stages, and are followed by the pre-adult and adult stages, when differentiation of males and females is possible.