Redescription of Dinemoura discrepans Cressey, 1967 (Copepoda: Pandaridae) parasitic on four species of sharks off southeast coast of Taiwan.

Abstract

Dinemoura discrepans Cressey, 1967 (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Pandaridae) is redescribed based on the specimens taken from four species of sharks caught off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The four species of sharks are: pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus Nakamura; bigeye thresher, A. superciliosus Lowe; blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller et Henle); and oceanic whitetip shark, C. longimanus (Poey). Although our redescription shows certain differences from the original description, after reexamination of the museum specimens studied by R. F. Cressey in making the original description, it was confirmed that the specimens from off Taiwan are identifiable with D. discrepans. Carcharhinus limbatus is currently known to host 19 species of parasitic copepods, of which D. discrepans is the first one of this copepod genus.