Gill louse

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Ergasilus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Maxillopoda
Subclass: Copepoda
Superorder: Podoplea
Order: Poecilostomatoida
Family: Ergasilidae
Genus: Ergasilus
Nordmann, 1832 [1]
Species

See text

The gill lice are a genus (Ergasilus) of copepod crustaceans occurring in both the ocean and fresh water. The females are parasitic upon the gills of fishes. This is similar to members of the crustacean subclass Branchiura (fish lice). 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

  1. 1.0 1.1 Template:ITIS
  2. "Fish lice". Encarta. MSN.


Template:Crustacean-stub

Template:WikiDoc Sources