Parasitic Copepods of Mackerel - and Tuna-like Fishes (Scombridae ...

46
Japan (Tsunodayama). During our studies we examined
11 specimens of S. japonicus from Japan but
did not recover this copepod.
Shiino (1959c) has provided a good description
with illustrations.
Pennella Oken, 1816
Pennella species
Members of this genus have been reported many
times from large marine pelagic animals. It is easily
recognized attached to the body of the host; the head
buried in the muscle tissue and the long wormlike
body trailing free. Specimens have been recorded
several inches long.
This genus is in need of revision and species names
should be used with caution. At least 6 species have
been reported from whales, 7 from flyingfishes, and 4
from swordfish. A revision would undoubtedly reduce
these numbers of Pennella species.
We have collected Pennella from Acanthocybium
solandri and Thunnus thynnus. Because of the confusion
surrounding the taxonomy of this genus we
have not assigned species names to our specimens.
Summary
Our data, relative to infestation rates, are subject
to considerable bias because of variables in collecting
methods throughout the course of the study. Much of
the material was collecetd from preserved fish in
museum collections. In these cases copepods usually
found on the body surfaces of the hosts are lost. Consequently,
rate of infestation data for each species,
based on data from the entire collection, is biased.
Nevertheless, we have included infestation rates in
spite of this, as we feel that they do reflect, in a general
way, host preferences and relative common-torare
occurrences of the parasite species on their hosts.
Selected collections will be considered in more detail
in the joint work with Collette.
The following is a list of scombrid fishes with the
parasitic copepods collected from them during the
course of this study. The number in parentheses after
the host name indicates the number of individuals examined.
The number in parentheses after the copepod
name indicates the number of fish infested. The
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY
copepods are listed with each host in descending order
of frequency.
SCOMBRINI
Rastrelliger kanagurta (108)
Pumiliopes capitulates (11)
Nothobomolochus kanagurta (4)
Rastrelliger brachysoma (33)
Lernanthropus kanagurta (1)
Rastrelliger faughni (14)
Pumiliopes capitulatus (2)
Nothobomolochus kanagurta (2)
Orbitacolax aculeatus (2)
Scomber scombrus (97)
Caligus pelamydis (1)
Scomber japonicus (500)
Pumiliopes capitulatus (8)
Clavellisa scombri (9)
Caligus pelamydis (4)
Caligus mutabilis (1)
Clavelopsis saba
Scomber australasicus (17)
Clavellisa scombri (1)
Pumiliopes capitulatus (1)
SCOMBEROMORINI
Acanthocybium solandri (61)
Brachiella thynni (37)
Gloiopotes hygomianus (26)
Caligus productus (9)
Caligus coryphaenae (1)
Shiinoa occlusa (1)
Pennella species (1)
Grammatorcynus bicarinatus (37)
Shiinoa occlusa (5)
Caligus asymmetricus (4)
Scomberomorus brasiliensis (62)
Pseudocycnoides buccata (39)
Holobomolochus divaricatus (14)
Caligus mutabilis (4)
Shiinoa inauris (3)
Scomberomorus cavalla (36)
Pseudocycnoides buccata (18)
Holobomolochus asperatus (10)
Caligus mutabilis (2)
Caligus productus (1)
Scomberomorus commerson (113)
Pseudocycnoides armatus (20)
Unicolax ciliatus (20)
Shiinoa occlusa (11)