Bluefin Tuna Louse [Neobrachiella orientalis]
Description
Neobrachiella orientalis, the Bluefin Tuna Louse, is a species of copepod that specializes in parasitizing bluefin tuna in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The species can be identified by their segmented bodies and pair of siphons. They attach themselves to the gills of the host fish and feed off of the host's blood and mucus.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Arthropods
Arthropoda
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Copepods
Copepoda
|
| Order |
Siphonostomatoida
Siphonostomatoida
|
| Family |
Lernaeopodidae
Lernaeopodidae
|
| Genus |
Neobrachiella
Neobrachiella
|