On the hatching and morphology of Dolops ranarum larvae (Crustacea: Branchiura)

Abstract

Fertilization and hatching of D. ranarum eggs under laboratory conditions are described. The morphology of the newly hatched larvae was studied by scanning electron microscopy and the results are compared with existing knowledge.

Crustacean parasites of fishes in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, preliminary results

“…Extensive work has been carried out on Dolops ranarum in Africa (Fryer, 1956(Fryer, , 1960(Fryer, , 1961(Fryer, , 1964(Fryer, , 1968a(Fryer, , 1969 especially in South Africa (Avenant 2 9 &Van As, 1985As, , 1986Avenant-Oldewage &Van As, 1990a, 1990bAvenant et al, 1989aAvenant et al, , 1989b. Though only few specimens of D. ranarum were collected in Lake Kariba, some comparisons between the results obtained from Zimbabwe and those from South Africa can be worked out.…”

“…This is mainly thanks to the extensive work of Fryer during the past thirty years, though other studies have been also carried out in various parts of Africa (Brian, 1927 ;Monod, 1928 ;Capart, 1944Capart, ,1956Harding, 1950 ;Dollfus, 1960 ;Paperna, 1964Paperna, , 1969Thurston, 1969 ;Oldewage & Van As, 1988a, 1988b . A lot of work has also originated from South Africa (Barnard, 1955 ;Boxshall, 1976 ;Kruger et al, 1983 ;Van As, 1983, 1986Van As & Basson, 1984 ;Avenant & Van As, 1985, 1986Oldewage & Van As, 1987 ;Avenant et al, 1989aAvenant et al, , 1989bAvenant-Oldewage & Van As, 1990a, 1990b . Fryer (1970) recorded 46 species of copepods, 28 species of branchiurans and 3 species of isopods in Africa .…”

Review on Major Parasitic Crustacean in Fish

“…Ventrally positioned head appendages are developed for attachment. Only one species of Dolops is present in Africa, it differs from Argulus in having the second maxilla armed with a hook rather than a sucker, characteristics of the latter [18]. Chonopeltis are usually the smallest; head appendages are feeble and rudimentary, the mouth tube found in the other Argulids is absent, whereas the cup-like sucker of the second maxilla is distinctly developed.…”

“…Both males and females may survive free living for as long as 15 days [18]. A. africanus, A. cunningtoni, A. rhiphidiophorus and D. ranarum have a preference for smooth-skinned fish (siluriforms and lung fish), the same species may, however, infect buccal and opercular mucosal integuments of scaly fish, notably cichlids [15].…”

A brief history of freshwater fish parasitology in southern Africa

“…As can be expected, her first papers from 1985-1990 were based on research from her MSc and PhD with her supervisor as co-author. These papers dealt with different aspects of Dolops ranarum: the distribution (Avenant and van As 1985), ecology (Avenant and van As 1986), redescription (Avenant et al 1989a) and larval development (Avenant et al 1989b). From then she no longer published under her maiden name, but as Avenant-Oldewage, beginning with descriptions of the morphologies of the reproductive (Avenant-Oldewage and van As 1990a) and digestive (Avenant-Oldewage and van As 1990b) systems of D. ranarum.…”