Global diversity of copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda) in freshwater

Abstract

The zoogeographic distributions of the 2,814 species of copepods reported from freshwater are analysed. Faunal diversity is compared between zoogeographic regions: the Palaearctic region has more than double the species richness of the next most diverse region, the Neotropical. Historical factors affecting levels of diversity are identified. More than 90% of all freshwater copepods are endemic to a single-zoogeographic region and endemic genera occur in all regions except Antarctica. Species that are not endemic to a single region include the highly vagile and cosmopolitan species occurring in four or more regions. The greatest faunal connectivity, as identified by Sørensen's Index, is between Palaearctic and Nearctic regions, and identifies the Holarctic taxa. Key human-related issues, such as the role of copepods as vectors for human parasites and the losses caused by parasitic copepods in commercial aquaculture, are mentioned.

Distribution pattern of crustacean ectoparasites of freshwater fish from Brazil

“…Nearly 330 species of freshwater Copepoda are parasites, and most of them use fish and mollusk species as hosts (BOXSHALL & DEFAYE, 2008). Copepoda was the parasitic taxon most frequently associated with freshwater fish in Brazil, among the samples examined, with 43 species in the family Ergasilidae and dominance of Ergasilus spp., along with the presence of eight species in the family Lernaeidae.…”

“…We found 53 species of Copepoda, 15 species of Branchiura and 8 species of Isopoda. Several species of these taxa are also components of assemblies of ectoparasites of freshwater fish in other regions of the world (FRYER, 1968;DOUELLOU & ERLWANGER 1994;BOXSHALL & HALSEY, 2004;POLY, 2008;BOXSHALL & DEFAYE, 2008). However, most of these parasitic crustacean species occurred in hosts within Characiformes and Siluriformes, especially in species within Characidae, Serrasalmidae and Pimelodidae.…”

“…Species of Crustacea Brünich, 1722, present wide-ranging morphophysiological variations, which provide this group with presence in diverse habitats with a variety of lifestyles, from planktonic species to parasites (MARTIN & DAVIS, 2001;BOXSHALL & DEFAYE, 2008;WILSON, 2008;LUQUE et al, 2013). However, the parasitic species need a host during at least one phase of their life cycle.…”

Estimating cyclopoid copepod species richness and geographical distribution (Crustacea) across a large hydrographical basin: comparing between samples from water column (plankton) and macrophyte stands

“…Many species are well distributed and some of them are cosmopolitan (UEDA & REID 2003, BOXSHALL & DEFAYE 2008. According to SELDEN et al (2010) the recent evolution of the order Cyclopoida in the Neogene (± 15 M.A.)…”

Ergasilus turkayi n. sp. (Copepoda, Cyclopoida, Ergasilidae): a gill parasite of Serrasalmus hollandi Jégu, 2003 (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae) from the Paragua River, Bolivia

“…The majority of the ergasilids parasitizes the gill filaments, gill rackers, nasal cavities and body surface of fish species (Boxshall and Defaye, 2007). Species of Ergasilidae share a unique life cycle: only fertilized females are parasitic, being the phase most widely used for the description and determination of most species (Boxshall and Defaye, 2007). Species of Ergasilidae feed on host tissue and are considered a pest in aquaculture (Kabata, 1970).…”