Studies on crustacean parasites from commercial marine fish along the Andaman Coast in comparison with Malabar Coast of Kerala of Indian EEZ
The present paper is a comparative study on parasitic infection of commercially important marine
fishes from Andaman and Malabar Coast. The host, mode of attachment on the host and location specificity
of external parasites also discussed. Parasites are the organisms that adversely affect the growth and normal
physiology of the exploited major fishery resources and lead to economic loss by reducing the marketability
of the same. In this regard two landing centres viz. Junglighat, Andaman Coast and Chombala, Malabar Coast
were surveyed to conduct study on crustacean parasites of commercial marine fishes. A total of 89 marine fish
species were collected from both landing centres and a total of 53 parasites belonging to 13 species were
identified. A total of 44 parasites from 60 fishes were recorded from Junglighat while only 9 parasites from 29
fishes could be recorded from Chombala fish landing centre. The number of infected specimens and number
of parasites recovered more in Rastrelliger kanagurta and Atule mate in Chombala and Junglighat respectively.
Most of the Copepod parasites belong to Caligidae and Isopods in Cymothoidae families. Most of infected
fishes belongs to family Scombridae at Chombala and Carangidae at Junglighat. Norileca indica (56%) from
R. kanagurta in Chombala and Caligus robustus (46%) from Atule mate, Junglighat were more frequent.
Caligus kanagurta was the only common parasite infected R. kanagurta from both Malabar and Andaman
coast. Prevalence of parasites was more in gill filament (40%) in infected fish species. The sites of attachment
of parasites not observed from the body surface and inside the fins during the present study period. The
attachment was achieved using their hook and needle like appendages on the surface of the host.