Gnathia marleyi

Gnathia marleyi is a parasitic cancer from the order of woodlice. It occurs in the Caribbean and mainly affects the French grunts, a fish of the family of sweetlips and grunts ( Haemulidae ).

Features

Only after breeding adult animals from larvae that had been found on fish, the species could gnathia marleyi identified and described in 2012. The parasitic larval stages were known for many years.

The cephalothorax of the male acts from above seen almost rectangular. The front body portion ( Cephalosoma ) but is slightly narrower towards the rear, so that a small indentation on the two sides of the cephalothorax is visible. The front edge of the Cephalosoma is somewhat indented in the middle and has several small conical projections. The males have a mandible, which is almost as long as the Cephalosoma. It has 10 to 11 teeth. On the Cephalosoma lie laterally the two eyes and the antenna pairs. Since the gnathia species with its broad cephalothorax and large mandibles remind the soldiers of the termites, they are sometimes referred to as " termites of the sea", although they are not related to these insects.

The females also have an almost rectangular Caphalothorax. The side edges of the Cephalosomas are slightly convex, it is about 1.2 times as wide as long. The front edge is rounded.

The third larval stage is characterized by a large mandibles, on the 8 large, triangular teeth are directed backwards. At the head of the mandible, there are also two small teeth. The larvae reach during the three larval stages, each of which is terminated by a molt, lengths of 0.5 to 3 millimeters.

Occurrence

Gnathia marleyi comes in the Eastern Caribbean, before example, before belonging to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Way of life

The three larval stages of gnathia marleyi and adult benthic animals live on the ground between corals, sponges and sea grass meadows.

Only the juvenile stages of gnathia marleyi infested fish. In cases in which parasitize only the early life stages, is spoken by protelischem parasitism. In this case, the larvae of gnathia marleyi helps the chemical sensory perception, which they signaled the presence of suitable host animals at night. During the day, they might be eaten by their hosts to their food spectrum they belong. After some time, in which the larvae snag the skin of the fish in order to feed on their blood and tissue fluid, they drop to the ground, where they molt. It is believed that the adult animals take no more food, but from the reserves they have accumulated in the third instar larvae as parasites that live off. The isopods then live for several months on the ground. During this time they can reproduce.

It is believed that gnathia marleyi, like blood-sucking insects act as vectors of disease. The transmitted pathogens include Hämogregarinen that can lead to a reduction of the blood cells and thus to a weakening of the immune system of the fish.

Designation

The species name marleyi was chosen for " respect and admiration " for the music died in 1981 Reggae musician Bob Marley. Paul C. Sikkel, one of the first to describe, pointed out that the new species is unique in the Caribbean, as well as at the time of the Jamaican musician Marley.