Salmon louse [Lepeophtheirus salmonis]
Description
The salmon louse is a marine ectoparasite that plagues the populations of wild and farmed salmon. Adult salmon lice are typically 0.5 to 1.5 cm long. The body is flat and transparent to orange in color. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean and affects fish in the northern hemisphere.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Arthropods
Arthropoda
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Copepods
Copepoda
|
| Order |
Siphonostomatoida
Siphonostomatoida
|
| Family |
Caligidae
Caligidae
|
| Genus |
Sea Lice
Lepeophtheirus
|