September 24 - Acanthochondria cornuta

Acanthochondria cornuta (Müller, 1776) is a chondracanthid copepod that infects the European flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei: Pleuronectidae), in different geographic locations, including, the coast of Portugal. It is a site-specific marine ectoparasite that occurs generally with regularity and in high numbers in the branchial chambers of its flatfish host. As in all other species of chondracanthids, the male is dwarf, being usually found attached to the female in the vicinity of the genital region. In other words, he is not found directly attached to the fish host and is called a “hyperparasite”.

See these papers:
1. Cavaleiro, F. I. & Santos, M. J. (2007) Survey of the metazoan ectoparasites of the European flounder Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758) along the north-central Portuguese coast. Journal of Parasitology 93, 1218-1222.
2. Cavaleiro, F. I. & Santos, M. J. (2009) Seasonality of metazoan ectoparasites in marine European flounder Platichthys flesus (Teleostei: Pleuronectidae). Parasitology 136, 855-865.

Contributed by Francisca I. Cavaleiro & Maria J. Santos.