Parasites of shrimps and crabs from the Chennai coast

Abstract

Bopyrids and Sacculina are typical parasites of crustaceans especially in shrimps and crabs. Bopyrids form the largest family of isopods and attach themselves to the gills of shrimps. Sacculina belongs to the order, Rhizocephala, an order of specialised barnacles. They are found as a mass of tissue, extending from the abdomen of crabs, this portion being termed as ‘externa’.