BU researchers and ZSI scientists discover new species of parasitic isopod

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Berhampur: Researchers of Berhampur University, in collaboration with scientists from Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), have discovered a new species of marine parasitic isopod in the coastal areas of Gopalpur and Bahabalpur in Ganjam and Balasore districts, respectively.

The new species, less than 3-cm long, was named Lobothorax Bharat and belongs to the family Cymothoidae. "The name pays tribute to Bharat, the motherland of researchers involved in the discovery," said Jaya Kishor Seth, assistant professor of department of zoology, Berhampur University, the principal investigator of the project.

The discovery was part of a research project titled ‘Molecular Characterization, Genetic Analysis and Study of the Life Cycle of Parasitic Isopod Found Along the Northern Part of the East Coast of India and the Chilika Lagoon', funded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) of the Centre. The three-year project, worth over Rs 37lakh, was completed this month, Seth said.

"Six specimens were retrieved from the host fish (ribbon fish) in the fish landing centres at Bahabalpur and Gopalpur in March and May 2023. During our study, we found the new species is distinguished by several unique features," he said. "The newly discovered isopod is a buccal-attaching parasite that affixes itself to the tongue of its host species. Fresh specimens are creamy white, turning yellowish-brown or dark brown upon preservation," he added.

"Parasitic isopods are known to infect marine and estuarine fish, adversely impacting their growth. This, in turn, affects aquaculture industries and their productivity. They play an important role in the food chain in the marine and estuarine ecosystem," said Seth.

"Understanding the biology of parasitic isopods is crucial for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, and improved aquaculture practices," he said, adding that further research was needed to understand the evolutionary patterns and biology of the new species.

The discovery of the new species was published in the latest edition of Zootaxa, an international taxonomy journal. Other authors of the article included Anil Mohapatra, Basudev Tripathy, senior scientists of ZSI, and Sandeep Kumar Mohapatra and Sanmitra Roy, both research scholars.