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Ergasilus

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Ergasilus
Ergasilus sp. females with one pair of eggs each on gills of northern pike
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Copepoda
Order: Cyclopoida
Family: Ergasilidae
Genus: Ergasilus
Nordmann, 1832 [1]
Species

See text

Ergasilus is a genus of copepod crustaceans occurring in both the ocean and fresh water, often called gill lice. The females are parasitic upon the gills of fishes. Being copepods, gill lice have a single median eye on their head. The second antennae are modified into prehensile pincers. Male gill lice are free-living.[2]

Species include:[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Ergasilus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  2. ^ "Fish lice". Encarta. MSN. Archived from the original on November 2, 2009.