MarBEF Data System



WoRMS taxon details

Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898

135769  (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:135769)

accepted
Species
Caligus mercatoris Capart, 1941 · unaccepted (synonym according to Hayes,...)  
synonym according to Hayes, Justine & Boxshall, 2012
Caligus oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956 · unaccepted (synonym according to Hayes,...)  
synonym according to Hayes, Justine & Boxshall, 2012
Caligus validus Pearse, 1952 · unaccepted (synonym according to Hayes,...)  
synonym according to Hayes, Justine & Boxshall, 2012
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
Bassett-Smith, P.W. (1898). Some new or rare parasitic copepods found on fish in the Indo-tropic region. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7)2:357-372, pls. 10-12. (xi-1898) [details]  OpenAccess publication 
Taxonomic remark Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898
The original description of C. robustus was based on material collected from four...  
Taxonomic remark Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898
The original description of C. robustus was based on material collected from four hosts, three carangids and a scombrid, in two localities in the northern part of the Indian Ocean (Bassett-Smith, 1898). This species has been reported many times subsequently from a range of predominantly carangid hosts caught in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (Table 1). Pillai (1985) and Cressey (1991) both provided partial redescriptions of this species, but the female was fully redescribed by Ho & Lin (2007). The adult female is characterised by the possession of an elongate, 2-segmented abdomen that is about 2.8 to 3.0 times longer than wide, and a flask-shaped genital complex that is just wider than long or about as long as wide dependent upon the state of contraction of the anterior “neck” of the complex. Caligus robustus exhibits three really distinctive features: the myxal margin of the female maxilliped, the posterior process of the maxillule and the exopod of leg 4.
In C. robustus the female maxilliped has a large tapering process on the myxal margin, opposing the tip of the maxilliped claw. Arising in the axil of this process is a second, shorter and more slender spine-like process. The tapering posterior process of the maxillule of the female has a transverse structure separating off the apex. This has been figured as a membrane (Ho & Lin, 2007: figure 3c) or as a furrow (Cressey, 1991: figure 170c). Leg 4 has a 3- segmented exopod with a I, I, III arrangement of outer spines. The pectens, which normally surround the base of the outer spine on each of the first two exopodal segments, extend along the entire outer margin of the second exopodal segment and along the distal section of the margin of the first exopodal segment.
A cluster of nominal species shares these distinctive features. Caligus oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956 from Brazil shares the distinctive form of the myxal process on the female maxilliped, the arrangement of pectens on the proximal segments of the exopod of leg 4, and the subapical furrow on the maxillule (Carvalho, 1956: figures 4, 9 and 11). Caligus validus Pearse, 1952 from the coast of Texas shares the distinctive myxal process on the female maxilliped, but although the form of the exopod of leg 4 is similar, Pearse’s figure does not show the pectens. The maxillule was not figured by Pearse (1952), however other features such as the proportions of the genital complex and abdomen, and the shape of the sternal furca agree with those of C. robustus. Although the illustration of the maxilliped of female Caligus mercatoris Capart, 1941 is drawn from an unusual angle (Capart, 1941: figure 4D), this species also shares the distinctive myxal process. In addition the pectens on the first two exopodal segments of leg 4 extend along the segmental margins. Although the abdomen of the specimen of C. mercatoris figured by Capart (1941) appears relatively shorter than in C. robustus, as described by Cressey (1991) for example, the shape of the sternal furca is the same and the armature on the tip of the exopod of the first leg is also the same (with spine 1 reduced in size and located subdistally on the anterior margin rather than at the antero-distal corner).
We propose to treat C. oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956, C. validus Pearse, 1952 and C. mercatoris Capart, 1941 as junior subjective synonyms of C. robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898. This species has a wide distribution across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and utilises a broad range of hosts, although exhibiting a clear preference for carangids (Table 1). [details]
Walter, T.C.; Boxshall, G. (2024). World of Copepods Database. Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=135769 on 2024-05-06
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2004-12-21 15:54:05Z
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original description Bassett-Smith, P.W. (1898). Some new or rare parasitic copepods found on fish in the Indo-tropic region. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7)2:357-372, pls. 10-12. (xi-1898) [details]  OpenAccess publication 

original description  (of Caligus mercatoris Capart, 1941) Capart, A. (1941). Copepoda parasitica. In: Résultats scientifiques des croisières du Navire-école belge 'Mercator', 3(5). Mémoires du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique (2)21:171-197, figs. 1-9. (31-v-1941) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

original description  (of Caligus oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956) Carvalho, J. de Paiva. (1956). Caligus oligoplitisi sp. n. Copepodo parasito del 'Zapatero' Oligoplitis saliens (Bloch). Neotropica, La Plata 2(7):15-19, fig. 1. (1-iv-1956) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

original description  (of Caligus validus Pearse, 1952) Pearse, A.S. (1952). Parasitic Crustacea from the Texas coast. <em>Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas.</em> 1952:1-42, figs. 1-157. (xii-1952). [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

context source (Bermuda) Sterrer, W. (1986). Marine fauna and flora of Bermuda: a systematic guide to the identification of marine organisms. <em>Wiley-Interscience Publication. Wiley.</em> 742 pp (Nemertini part). [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

basis of record Boxshall, G. (2001). Copepoda (excl. Harpacticoida), <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 252-268 (look up in IMIS[details]   

additional source Ho, J.S. & C.L. Lin. (2007). Three species of Caligus Muller, 1785 (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on Caranx spp. (Teleostei: Carangidae) off Taiwan. Systematic Parasitology 68(1):33-43. [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Pillai, N.K. (1963). Copepods parasitic on South Indian fishes: Family Caligidae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 5(1):68-96, figs. 1-16. (xii-1963) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Kirtisinghe, P. (1964). A review of the parasitic copepods of fish recorded from Ceylon, with descriptions of additional forms. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Station, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 17(1):45-132, figs. 1-191. (vi-1964) [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Ramakrishnan, P. (1980). Revision of the Caligidae (Copepoda) with special reference to the Indian fauna. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Kerala 400pp. + 15 plates. [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Pillai, N.K. (1967). Copepods parasitic on Indian marine fishes. A review. In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Crustacea. Symposium Series, Marine Biological Association of India (2)5:1556-1680, figs. 1-266. [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Pillai, N.K. (1985). Copepod Parasites of Marine Fishes. <em>In: The Fauna of India. Zoological Society of India, Calcutta.</em> 900pp., figs. 1-279. [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Hayes, P., J.L. Justine & G.A. Boxshall. (2012). The genus Caligus Müller, 1785 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida): two new species from reef associated fishes in New Caledonia, and some nomenclatural problems resolved. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 3534:21-39., available online at http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/z03534p039f.pdf [details]  Available for editors  PDF available [request] 

additional source Wilson, C.B. (1913). Crustaceen parasites of West Indian fishes and land crabs, with description of new genera and species. <em>Proceedings of the United States National Museum.</em> 44: 189-277. [details]  OpenAccess publication 
 
 Present  Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio   Inaccurate  Introduced: alien  Containing type locality 
   

From editor or global species database
Taxonomic remark Caligus robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898
The original description of C. robustus was based on material collected from four hosts, three carangids and a scombrid, in two localities in the northern part of the Indian Ocean (Bassett-Smith, 1898). This species has been reported many times subsequently from a range of predominantly carangid hosts caught in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (Table 1). Pillai (1985) and Cressey (1991) both provided partial redescriptions of this species, but the female was fully redescribed by Ho & Lin (2007). The adult female is characterised by the possession of an elongate, 2-segmented abdomen that is about 2.8 to 3.0 times longer than wide, and a flask-shaped genital complex that is just wider than long or about as long as wide dependent upon the state of contraction of the anterior “neck” of the complex. Caligus robustus exhibits three really distinctive features: the myxal margin of the female maxilliped, the posterior process of the maxillule and the exopod of leg 4.
In C. robustus the female maxilliped has a large tapering process on the myxal margin, opposing the tip of the maxilliped claw. Arising in the axil of this process is a second, shorter and more slender spine-like process. The tapering posterior process of the maxillule of the female has a transverse structure separating off the apex. This has been figured as a membrane (Ho & Lin, 2007: figure 3c) or as a furrow (Cressey, 1991: figure 170c). Leg 4 has a 3- segmented exopod with a I, I, III arrangement of outer spines. The pectens, which normally surround the base of the outer spine on each of the first two exopodal segments, extend along the entire outer margin of the second exopodal segment and along the distal section of the margin of the first exopodal segment.
A cluster of nominal species shares these distinctive features. Caligus oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956 from Brazil shares the distinctive form of the myxal process on the female maxilliped, the arrangement of pectens on the proximal segments of the exopod of leg 4, and the subapical furrow on the maxillule (Carvalho, 1956: figures 4, 9 and 11). Caligus validus Pearse, 1952 from the coast of Texas shares the distinctive myxal process on the female maxilliped, but although the form of the exopod of leg 4 is similar, Pearse’s figure does not show the pectens. The maxillule was not figured by Pearse (1952), however other features such as the proportions of the genital complex and abdomen, and the shape of the sternal furca agree with those of C. robustus. Although the illustration of the maxilliped of female Caligus mercatoris Capart, 1941 is drawn from an unusual angle (Capart, 1941: figure 4D), this species also shares the distinctive myxal process. In addition the pectens on the first two exopodal segments of leg 4 extend along the segmental margins. Although the abdomen of the specimen of C. mercatoris figured by Capart (1941) appears relatively shorter than in C. robustus, as described by Cressey (1991) for example, the shape of the sternal furca is the same and the armature on the tip of the exopod of the first leg is also the same (with spine 1 reduced in size and located subdistally on the anterior margin rather than at the antero-distal corner).
We propose to treat C. oligoplitisi Carvalho, 1956, C. validus Pearse, 1952 and C. mercatoris Capart, 1941 as junior subjective synonyms of C. robustus Bassett-Smith, 1898. This species has a wide distribution across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and utilises a broad range of hosts, although exhibiting a clear preference for carangids (Table 1). [details]
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