Oceanologia (Sep 2007)
Epibionts (<i>Paracineta</i>) and parasites (<i>Ellobiopsis</i>) on copepods from Spitsbergen (Kongsfjorden area)
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Ellobiopsis and epibiontic ciliatesof the genus Paracineta were found on the body surface of somecopepod taxa collected in the Kongsfjorden area (west Spitsbergen,Svalbard) during summer 2002. Paracineta sp. individuals were noted in Metridia longaand Paraeuchaeta norvegica (0.5% of the population infectedin each species). This study provides the first record of thepresence of Paracineta sp. in the latter species. Remarkably,epibionts were attached exclusively to females. Calanus finmarchicus and C. glacialis were invadedby Ellobiopsis spp., but the level of infection was generally low (0.06% and0.09% of the population infected, respectively). Parasite distributionwithin both host populations was similar - 80% of infected specimenswere at copepodid stage V. This study also provides the firstrecord of C. glacialis serving as a host to Ellobiopsis.
