title: Infestation of gill copepod Lernanthropus latis (Copepoda: Lernanthropidae) and its effect on cage-cultured Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer.
abstract: Twenty Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer from a floating cage in Bt. Tambun, Penang   were examined for the presence of parasitic gill copepod, Lernanthropus latis. The prevalence   of L. latis was 100% with the intensity of infection ranging from 1 to 18 parasites per host or   3.75 of mean intensity. Female parasites having oblong cephalothorax and egg-strings were   seen mainly on the entire gill of examined Asian sea bass. The infected gill of Asian sea bass   was pale and had eccessive mucus production. Under light and scanning electron microscopies   (SEM), L. latis was seen grasping or holding tightly to the gill filament using their antenna,   maxilla and maxilliped. These structures are characteristically prehensile and uncinate for   the parasite to attach onto the host tissue. The damage was clearly seen under SEM as the   hooked end of the antenna was embedded into the gill filament. The parasite also has the   mandible which is styliform with eight teeth on the inner margin. The pathological effects   such as erosion, haemorrhages, hyperplasia and necrosis along the secondary lamellae of gill   filaments were seen and more severe at the attachment site. The combined actions of the   antenna, maxilla and maxilliped together with the mandible resulted in extensive damage as   L. latis attached and fed on the host tissues.
authors.affiliation: National Fish Health Research Centre, Fisheries Research Institute, 11960 Batu Maung, Penang, Malaysia. kuaben01@dof.gov.my
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kua
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Noraziah
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Nik Rahimah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001492:Bass / Q000469:parasitology*; D033342:Copepoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D005880:Gills / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence