2021 Volume 76 Pages 17-25
The species composition and prevalence of symbionts attached to the body surface of the burrowing shrimp Upogebia major(De Haan, 1841) were examined at three sites (Kobe, Arao, and Kuma-gawa) in the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas of Kyushu, Japan, in spring and summer in 2017. At each sampling time per site, 15–46 U. major individuals were collected individually by the traditional hand-fishing method of inserting a brush into each burrow opening to lure the shrimp. The prevalence and intensity of the infection were examined for each symbiont. Our results at Kobe were compared with previous data from 1998. Six species of symbionts were collected. The scale worm Hesperonoe japonensis Hong, Lee & Sato, 2017(Polynoidae) was found at the two sites in the Ariake Sea, with prevalences much lower in 2017(2–6%) than the prevalence at Kobe in July 1998(89%).The bivalve Peregrinamor ohshimai Shoji, 1938(Galeommatoidea) was not found at any site in 2017, whereas it occurred with a prevalence of 7% at Kobe in 1998. The cyclopoid copepod Hemicyclops gomsoensis Ho & Kim, 1991(Clausidiidae) was found in all sites with the highest prevalence (100%) at Kobe and Arao in July 2017. An unidentified species of harpacticoid copepod (Peltidiidae) occurred at the two sites in the Ariake Sea, with the highest prevalence (59%) at Kobe. In addition to this, two parasitic bopyrid isopods, Gyge ovalis(Shiino, 1939) and Procepon insolitum(Shiino, 1937) also occurred with the highest prevalences of 6% and 5%, respectively.
