Abstract
Nesippus orientalis Heller, 1868, a cosmopolitan species found in the mouth and on the gill-arches of a number of shark hosts, is distinguished from other species by the presence of dorsal plates on the fourth thoracic segment. Specimens were collected from various sharks caught in the nets of the Natal Sharks Board, off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Collected specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and studied using the wooden slide technique and scanning electron microscopy. Careful examination of adult females revealed features previously not described in detail. Furthermore, some female specimens were still grasping the placoid scales of their hosts. These specimens showed how the maxillipeds are used to clasp the host. Immature, young females and males, some still attached to the young females, were also collected. The males use their maxillipeds, which have a slightly different structure to those of the female, to hold onto the females.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnard K.H. (1955). South African parasitic Copepoda. Annals of the South African Museum 41:223–312
Benz G.W. (1981). Observations on the attachment scheme of the parasitic copepod Pandarus satyrus (Copepoda: Pandaridae). Journal of Parasitology 67:966–967
Benz G.W. (1986). Distribution of siphonostomatoid copepods parasitic upon large pelagic sharks in the western North Atlantic. Syllogeus 58:211–219
Benz G.W. (1992). How Pandarus species (Copepoda: Pandaridae) attach to their shark hosts. Journal of Parasitology 78:368–370
Benz G.W., Mollet H.F., Ebert D.A., Davis C.R., Van Sommeran S.R. (2003). Five species of parasitic copepods (Siphonostomatoida) from the body surface of a white shark captured in Morro Bay, California. Pacific Science 57:39–43
Cressey R.F. (1967a) Revision of the family Pandaridae (Copepoda, Caligoida). Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 121:1–133
Cressey R.F. (1967b) Caligoid copepods parasitic on sharks of the Indian Ocean. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 121:1–21
Cressey R.F. (1970) Copepods parasitic on sharks from the west coast of Florida. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 38:1–30
Cressey R., Boyle H. (1978). A new genus and species of parasitic copepod (Pandaridae) from a unique new shark. Pacific Science 32:25–30
Heller C. (1868) Crustaceen. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859. Zoologie 2(3):1–280, pls 1–25
Hewitt G.C. (1967). Some New Zealand parasitic Copepoda of the family Pandaridae. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 1:180–264
Humes A.G., Gooding R.U. (1964). A method for studying the external anatomy of copepods. Crustaceana 6:238–240
Huys R., Boxshall G.A. (1991). Copepod evolution. London: The Ray Society, London, 468 pp
Kabata Z. (1974). Mouth and mode of feeding of Caligidae (Copepoda), parasites of fishes, as determined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 31:1583–1588
Kabata Z. (1979). Parasitic copepods of British fishes. London, The Ray Society, 468 pp
Oldewage W.H. (1993). Three species of piscine parasitic copepods from southern African coastal waters. South African Journal of Zoology 28:113–121
Pillai N.K. (1985). The fauna of India: copepod parasites of marine fishes. Calcutta, Zoological Survey of India, 900 pp
Rokicki J., Bychawska D. (1991). Parasitic copepods of Carcharhinidae and Sphyridae (Elasmobranchia) from the Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Natural History 25:1439–1448
Wilson C.B. (1905). New species of parasitic copepods from the Massachusetts coast. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 18:127–132
Wilson C.B. (1907). North American parasitic copepods belonging to the family Caligidae. Parts 3 and 4. A revision of the Pandarinae and the Cecropinae. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 33:323–490
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Natal Sharks Board and Department of Biodiversity at the University of Limpopo (UL) for field and laboratory support, Ms A. Möller (UL) for assistance with SEM observations, Mr R Sandrock (UL) and Mr C Visser (UL) for help with photos and illustrations, Prof. PAS Olivier (UL) for advice regarding the manuscript and the Research and Development Administration (UL) for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dippenaar, S.M., Jordaan, B.P. Nesippus orientalis Heller, 1868 (Pandaridae: Siphonostomatoida): descriptions of the adult, young and immature females, a first description of the male and aspects of their functional morphology. Syst Parasitol 65, 27–41 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-006-9037-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-006-9037-7