''Chondracanthus merluccii'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
copepod
Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat (ecology), habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthos, benthic (living on the ocean floor) ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
''
Chondracanthidae
Chondracanthidae is a family of parasitic copepods, usually found infecting the branchial chamber of demersal fishes. It comprises the following genera:
*'' Acanthocanthopsis'' Heegaard, 1945
*'' Acanthochondria'' Oakley, 1930
*'' Acanthochondri ...
''. It is a
host-specific ectoparasite
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...
of the
European hake
''Merluccius merluccius'', the European hake, is a merluccid hake of the genus ''Merluccius''. Other vernacular names include Cornish salmon and herring hake. It is a predatory species which was often netted alongside one of its favoured prey, th ...
(''Merluccius merluccius''). It was
first described in 1802 by the Danish zoologist
Hans Severin Holten
Johan Severin Holten (11 July 1770 – 30 December 1805) was a Danish zoological writer, brother of Nicolai Holten, who was to become a Geheimrat, a high-ranking advisor at the imperial courts of the Holy Roman Empire.
Biography
He was the son of ...
who named it ''Lernaea merluccii''.
[
]
Ecology
Both adult females and adult males cling onto the lining of the floor of the mouth and onto the gills of the host fish.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4283537
Poecilostomatoida
Parasitic crustaceans
Ectoparasites
Animal parasites of fish
Crustaceans described in 1802