The Incidence of the Cymothoid Isopod Lironeca calif ornica on Fishes in Campbell Cove, Sonoma County, California

Abstract

Observations were made on the infestation of iBishes in Campbell Cove <br /><br />near Bodega Harbor, Sonoma County, California, by the cymothoid isopod, Li- <br /><br />roneca californica. Three of 1 7 species of fishes were found to be hosts for this <br /><br />parasite, including the two most abundant species, Cymatogaster aggregata and <br /><br />Atherinops affinis (28.8% and 3.5% infestations, respectively). This parasite was <br /><br />found only in the opercular cavities of the infested fishes. No correlation was <br /><br />found between the length of the isopod and the standard length of the fish host. <br /><br />In C aggregata, isopods were found more frequently on larger specimens. Larger <br /><br />isopods were found on C aggregata than on A. affinis. In the laboratory, live <br /><br />isopods were observed to infest fish species in addition to those that were infested <br /><br />in the wild.