Leeches, lice and lampreys : a natural history of skin and gill parasites of fishes

"Many different kinds of animals have adopted a parasitic life style on the skin and gills of marine and freshwater fishes, including protozoans, flatworms, leeches, a range of crustaceans and even some vertebrates (lampreys). There is a parasitic barnacle, described first in the 19th century by Charles Darwin, fish lice that change sex and bivalve molluscs parasitic only when young. This book explores for the first time in one volume, the remarkable biology of these little known and frequently bizarre animals." "The following closely interwoven themes are considered for each group of parasites: how they find their hosts, how they attach, feed and reproduce, the damage they inflict and how the host's immune system retaliates. Based on the British fauna, but extending where appropriate to examples from North America, Australia and elsewhere, the book is essential reading, not just for the professional parasitologist, but also for anyone interested in fishes and in this neglected field of British natural history." "With the enquiring naturalist in mind, terms and concepts are explained as they arise, backed up by a glossary, and the text is liberally illustrated. An introductory chapter on fish biology sets the scene and common fish names are used throughout, as well as scientific names."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-xviii The hosts....Pages 2-21 ‘Protozoans’....Pages 22-36 Monogenean (flatworm) skin parasites – Entobdella....Pages 37-60 Other monogenean skin parasites....Pages 61-81 Monogenean gill parasites – monopisthocotyleans....Pages 82-102 Monogenean gill parasites – polyopisthocotyleans....Pages 103-130 Leeches....Pages 131-153 Siphonostomatoid copepods: (1) Fish lice – caligids....Pages 154-177 Siphonostomatoid copepods: (2) pennellids....Pages 178-194 Siphonostomatoid copepods: (3) lernaeopodids....Pages 195-207 Cyclopoid copepods – the anchor worm....Pages 208-213 Poecilostomatoid copepods....Pages 214-236 The common fish louse – Argulus....Pages 237-264 A mesoparasitic barnacle – Anelasma....Pages 265-273 Isopods....Pages 274-295 Unionacean molluscs (naiads)....Pages 296-317 Lampreys....Pages 318-338 Conclusions....Pages 339-351 Back Matter....Pages 353-432 Water is a demanding medium for vertebrate life (see Pough et al., 1990; Helfman et al., 1997). By Graham C. Kearn. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [375]-418) And Indexes.