Two Species of Chondracanthid Copepods (Poecilostomatoida) Parasitic on Sandperches of Taiwan

Abstract

AbstractTwo species of Chondracanthidae (Copepoda, Poecilostomatoida) parasitic on sandperches of the genus Parapercis Bleeker, 1863 from Taiwan are reported. They are ectoparasites attaching to the host's gill filaments. The species of parasites and their hosts are: Prochondracanthopsis quadricornutus Shiino, 1960 on Parapercis sexfasciata (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843), P. multifasciata Döderlein, 1884, and an unidentified species of Parapercis; and Parapercicola formosana n. gen., n. sp. on P. multifasciata. It is proposed that Humphreysia hoi Do & Kasahara, 1982 found on P. sexfasciata from Japan is to be synonymized with P. quadricornutus. The outstanding characteristics of P. formosana are possession of (1) a body in the female with distinct tagmatization of head, neck (long), and trunk (without outgrowths); (2) the antenna in both sexes with atrophied tip (accessory antennule); and (3) biramous but reduced legs 1 and 2 in the female.