first record of the parasitic copepod, brachiella trichiuri gnanamuthu, 1951 (crustacea: lernaeopodidae) on trichiurus lepturus l. (osteichthyes: trichiuridae) in the persian gulf

the lernaeopodidae is a cosmopolitan family of copepods parasitic on both elasmobranchs and teleosts in marine and freshwater habitats. trichiurus lepturus l. is a commercially valuable bentho-pelagic fish inhabiting continental shelves and slopes worldwide. in the present study 74 specimens of t. lepturus were caught in the persian gulf, 12 of which were infected with female brachiella trichiuri gnanamuthu, 1951. they were attached firmly to the branchial arches of the host, and had a mean body length of 4.56 ±0.30 mm. prevalence, mean intensity (±se) and mean abundance (±se), of infection were 16.2%, 0.38 ±0.14 and 2.33 ±0.61, respectively. this is the first record of b. trichiuri from the persian gulf.