Infestation and effect of parasitic isopod Epipenaeon ingens ingens Nobili, 1906 in commercial shrimp species in the eastern Mediterranean: a case study of the population of brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus Ives, 1891

Monthly samples of seven species penaeid shrimps, namely, Penaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891), Penaus hathor (Burkenroad, 1959) japonicus (Spence Bate,1888), kerathurus (Forskal,1775), semisulcatus (De Haan,1844), Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricus, 1798) and Metapenaeopsis aegyptia (Galil & Golani, 1990) were collected from Antalya Bay in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea March, 2019 through 2020. Except for P. semisulcatus, no other shrimp infected with parasitic isopod Epipenaeon ingens ingens. Of 3043 inspected, 541 individuals (17.8%) bopyrid parasite E. However, annual infestation rate recruiting year class (28 mm < CL: 5.7%) was much less than larger sexually mature (CL ≥ 34 mm: 36.2%) individuals. rates varied 0.86 to 84.8%, size infested shrimps ranged 20 44 CL. The left branchial chamber more likely (43.1%) right one (39.8%), 17.1% appeared be doubly infected. percentage ovigerous female fluctuated between 31.7% (August) 90.0% (February). We report first time at accompaniment (FAS$_{50}$) maturity (FMS$_{50}$) ingens, 11.0 TL 13.0 TL, respectively. gonad weight (0.779 ± 0.73 g) GSI (0.223 0.333) value uninfected about eight times greater it (0.094 0.18 g 2.006 1.669, respectively).