Peniculus hokutae
Peniculus hokutae is a species of parasitic pennellid copepod. It has been described in 2018, from a single female.[1] The type-host is the myctophid fish Symbolophorus evermanni and the type-locality is off Japan. The Japanese name of this species is hokuto-kozutsu-hijikimushi.[1]
Peniculus hokutae | |
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Peniculus hokutae attached to its host | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Crustacea |
Class: | Hexanauplia |
Order: | Siphonostomatoida |
Family: | Pennellidae |
Genus: | Peniculus |
Species: | P. hokutae |
Binomial name | |
Peniculus hokutae Ohtsuka, Nishikawa & Boxshall, 2018 | |
According to Ohtsuka, Nishikawa & Boxshall,[1] this species is the first record of parasitism by the genus Peniculus on a mesopelagic myctophid fish.
The species was distinguished from other congeners by (1) the presence of a conical process anterior to the rostrum; (2) the secondary elongation of the first pedigerous somite; (3) the incorporation of the third and fourth pedigerous somites into the trunk; (4) the unilobate maxillule bearing two unequal apical setae; (5) the lack of any processes on the first segment of the maxilla.[1]
References
- Ohtsuka, Susumu; Nishikawa, Jun; Boxshall, Geoffrey A. (2018). "A new species of Peniculus (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) parasitizing mesopelagic myctophid fish: first discovery of colonization of the genus in deep water". Parasite. 25: 58. doi:10.1051/parasite/2018057. ISSN 1776-1042. PMC 6254144.