New host and third western Pacific Ocean records for Nerocila trichiura (Isopoda: Cymothoidae), a skin parasite of flyingfishes

Abstract

An ovigerous female of the cymothoid isopod Nerocila trichiura (Miers, 1877) was collected from the isthmus of Cheilopogon doederleinii (Steindachner, 1887) (Beloniformes: Exocoetidae), in Kowaura Bay, Mie Prefecture, central Japan. This represents the third record of N. trichiura from the western Pacific Ocean, and C. doederleinii is a new host of the isopod. A skin wound caused by the isopod was found at attachment site.