Copepods - parasites of the genus Merluccius from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

3 species of parasitic copepods were found on Atlantic hakes caught off the western coasts of Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean Sea (off Alexandria), and North America. The species are: Chondracanthus merluccii, Brachiella merluccii and Parabrachiella australis. The parasites importance as indicators of the affinities between hakes is discussed. Various hypotheses concerning the origin of the genus Merluccius are presented.