Mortalities caused by the crustacean isopod,Cirolana fluviatilis, in tropical, cage-cultured Asian seabass,Lates calcarifer: a case study from the southwest coast of India

Abstract

Recurring mortalities in£icted by the cirolanid isopodCirolana £uviatilis in the juveniles of the Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer, stocked in a cage farm in the Cochin backwaters, from November 2006 to May 2007, were investigated. Hatchery-reared ¢ngerlings (size 8^12 cm) were cultured in £oating cages and mortalities were observed after a rearing period of 1 month. The ¢sh were found dead in the cages, with only the remnants of ¢sh skeleton and all the £esh eaten away. Investigations revealed a very high abundance of isopods, identi¢ed as C. £uviatilis (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Isopoda and Ciroloanidae). During the ¢rst 2 months of stocking, 35% of the ¢ngerlings died, and the cumulative mortality reached 45% in 6 months, considerably reducing the pro¢ts from the venture. Management measures for the control of the isopods are discussed. This is the ¢rst report on the isopod, C. £uviatilis, in£icting serious mortalities in a tropical cage-rearing system in the southwest coast of India.

The occurrence of parasitic copepods and isopods infesting the marine teleost fishes of Kerala coast, India

“…Like coastal countries in India, both marine fisheries and aquaculture have witnessed phenomenal growth during the last five decades both in terms of quantitative and qualitative levels (Flaherty et al 2009). However, during the last decade's aquaculture has been facing the problems posed by pathogens and parasites and their implications for fishery leading to constraints in aquaculture productivity (Sanil et al 2009;Rijin et al 2019). In this context, as a prelude, the present survey report on the parasitic copepods and isopods infecting marine fishes along the Kerala Coast is relevant.…”

Exploring Benthic Scavenger Assemblages, a Multi-Habitat Approach in NW Iberian Peninsula

“…Therefore, baseline data of scavenging megafauna on the NW coast of the Iberian Peninsula that provides information on the abundance of species in different habitats is key to understanding the distribution of this crucial but understudied group. Moreover, fish damage by scavengers (amphipods and isopods) has been reported as a concern to commercial fisheries and aquaculture production [15].…”

Mouthparts and their setae of the intertidal isopod Cirolana harfordi

“…Cirolanid isopods are important to marine food webs around the world (Keable, 1995) but can also be damaging pests to the fishery industry, especially to fish cultured in net cages (Stepien & Brusca, 1985;Sanil et al, 2009). Cirolanid isopods are also known to attack dead, dying or living animals including humans (Dahl, 1952).…”