Chonopeltis
Chonopeltis is a genus of fish lice in the subclass Branchiura. These crustaceans are ectoparasitic and spend most of their lives on the body of an aquatic host. Species of this genus are found exclusively in Africa, and inhabit freshwater rivers.[1]
| Chonopeltis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Ichthyostraca |
| Order: | Arguloida |
| Family: | Argulidae |
| Genus: | Chonopeltis Thiele, 1900 |
Description
Members of this genus do not grow any larger than a few millimetres in size. They have flat bodies covered by a carapace, and have two large suction cups, one on either side their heads. They use these suction cups to stick to their hosts. They feed on the host‘s various assets, including mucus, internal fluids and sloughed-off scales.[2]
Life cycle
Their larvae live and grow on their host‘s body, and mating occurs on the body of the host. Chonopeltis species will not leave the host during the egg-laying process, as they are poor swimmers.[3] This is in contrast to other members of the family) Argulidae, who must leave their hosts to mate. After mating, females will adhere their eggs to structures or substrate in their environment while the host is at rest.[3]
Species
As of December, 2022, there are 12 species recognised in the genus Chonopeltis:[1]
- Chonopeltis australis Boxshall, 1976
- Chonopeltis brevis Fryer, 1961
- Chonopeltis congicus Fryer, 1959
- Chonopeltis elongatus Fryer, 1974
- Chonopeltis flaccifrons Fryer, 1960
- Chonopeltis fryeri Van As, 1986
- Chonopeltis inermis Thiele, 1900
- Chonopeltis lisikili Van As J.G. & Van As L.L., 1996
- Chonopeltis liversedgi Van As & Van As, 1999
- Chonopeltis meridionalis Fryer, 1964
- Chonopeltis minutus Fryer, 1977
- Chonopeltis schoutedeni Brian, 1940
References
- "The World of Copepods - Chonopeltis Thiele, 1900". www.marinespecies.org.
- "Introduction to the Branchiura". ucmp.berkeley.edu.
- Neethling, Lourelle Alicia Martins; Avenant-Oldewage, Annemariè (May 1, 2018). "Chonopeltis australis (Crustacea: Branchiura); the female reproductive system". Arthropod Structure & Development. 47 (3): 279–285. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2018.03.004. PMID 29608975 – via ScienceDirect.