Multiple parasitic crustacean infestation on belonid fish Strongylurastrongylura

Simultaneous multiple infestation of parasitic crustacean species involving a cymothoid isopod, Cymothoafrontalis Milne Edward, 1840 and four species of copepods such as Lernanthropustylosuri Richiardi, 1880, Caligodeslacinatus Kroyer, 1863, Bomolochusbellones Burmeister, 1833 and Dermoergasiluscoleus Cressey & Collette, 1970 was frequently noticed on spot-tail needlefish, Strongylurastrongylura (Belonidae) captured from the Malabar coast (Kerala, India) during the period from April 2011 to March 2012. All the 43 fishes (Strongylurastrongylura) collected, were under the hyper-infection with parasitic crustaceans; a total of 388 parasitic crustaceans including 57 Cymothoafrontalis, 252 Lernanthropustylosuri, 31 Caligodeslacinatus, 24 Bomolochusbellones and 32 Dermoergasiluscoleus were recovered from the host fish. 4 members (9.30%) of host fish were under quadruple parasitism, in two different combinations. Seventeen (39.53%) host fishes showed triple parasitism and 20 (46.51%) members exhibited double parasitism, with four and five parasitic combinations respectively. Remaining two (4.65%) fishes were parasitized only by the copepod, Lernanthropustylosuri. The infestations by all recovered parasitic crustaceans were highly site specific. The damage caused by the parasitic crustaceans was also discussed.