The distribution of Ceratothoa steindachneri (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitic in Echiichthys vipera in the north-east Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Horton, Tammy, Okamura, Beth
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2002
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315402005660; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315402005660

The distribution of the recently discovered association of the parasitic isopod Ceratothoa steindachneri (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) with the lesser weever fish ( Echiichthys vipera ) is reported. Ceratothoa steindachneri appears to have colonized the south-west coast of the UK between the 1960s and the 1980s, possibly as a result of range expansion due to climate change. The occurrence of C. steindachneri in E. vipera from Arcachon, France, indicates that this association has been occurring for over 100 years. Our data confirm that C. steindachneri is able to parasitize a broad range of fish hosts.