BERHAMPUR: Researchers of department of zoology, Berhampur University in collaboration with Zoological Survey of India(ZSI) have discovered a new species of marine parasitic isopod along the coast at Bahabalpur and Gopalpur.
The species, named Lobothorax Bharat, belongs to the family Cymothoidae. The research team, during surveys at Bahabalpur and Gopalpur fish landing centres, collected six specimens of the isopod from the host fish Trichiurus lepturus (family Trichiuridae).
The newly discovered isopod is a buccal-attaching parasite that affixes itself to the tongue of its host species. Fresh specimens are creamy white but turn yellowish-brown or dark brown upon preservation.
The genetic analysis showed 2.5 - 2.6 per cent difference from Lobothorax typus and a 23.9 - 32.2 per cent variation from other related species.
Parasitic isopods are known to infect marine and estuarine fishes impacting their growth, which in turn affects aquaculture industries and their productivity. The biology of parasitic isopods is important for bio-diversity conservation, ecosystem management, and improved aquaculture practices.
The team was led by Dr Jaya Kishor Seth, along with research scholars Sandeep Kumar Mohapatra and Sanmitra Roy, and scientists Basudev Tripathy (ZSI, Pune) and Anil Mohapatra (ZSI, Gopalpur-on-Sea).
Anil Mohapatra, scientist at ZSI, Gopalpur-on-Sea said, “The name is a tribute to Bharat (India), the cherished motherland of all the authors involved in this discovery, where this unique specimen was found.”
The researchers said further studies are needed to understand the evolutionary patterns and biology of Lobothorax Bharat.
The study was funded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India. The discovery of the new species was published in Zootaxa, a premier taxonomy journal.