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Podoceru Chelonophilus (Amphipoda: Podoceridae) Associated with Epidermal Lesions of the Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta Caretta (Chelonia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

P.G. Moore
Affiliation:
University Marine Biological Station Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland, KA28 OEG

Extract

Examination of a small sample of Podocerus chelonophilus found clustered around mucus-exuding epidermal lesions of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) collected off Madeira revealed the presence of fibrous material in the gut contents. The absence of planktonic remains suggested that these amphipods had been exploiting turtle material directly.

With the exception of the Cyamidae (whale lice), rather few amphipod taxa consistently live in association with marine vertebrates. Sea turtles, however, have been recorded carrying gammaridean and caprellidean epibionts by Caine (1986), who reported eight gammaridean species (including two domicolous fouling species) from nesting loggerhead turtles in Florida.

Type
Short Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1995

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