identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
EE27878ACA53FFFAFF1F9CBB1236F95C.text	EE27878ACA53FFFAFF1F9CBB1236F95C.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Lepeophtheirus lichiae Barnard 1948	<div><p>Lepeophtheirus lichiae Barnard, 1948</p><p>Host: Lichia amia (Linnaeus, 1758) ( Perciformes: Carangidae) (mean total body length: 56.58± 4.9cm; range: 49.2—61.1cm, n =5).</p><p>Locality: <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=33.892334&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=36.169125" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 33.892334/lat 36.169125)">Gulf of Taşucu</a> (36°10ʹ08.85ʺN; 33°53ʹ32.40ʺE), Eastern Mediterranean waters off Taşucu, Mersin - Türkiye .</p><p>Site on host: Lateral body surface, near lateral line.</p><p>Prevalence: 40% (2 fish infected of a total of 5 examined).</p><p>Material examined: 1 ♀ (used for CLSM examination); 1 ♀ (recovered exoskeleton from DNA isolation (CUMAPCOP/2024/2); 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ (used for CLSM examination; NHMUK 2025.1789 – 1790).</p><p>Description (Figs. 1–12)</p><p>Adult female. Body (Fig. 1A) caligiform, comprising cephalothorax incorporating first to third pedigerous somites, free fourth pedigerous somite, genital complex and 2-segmented abdomen. Mean total body length 5.71± 0.6 mm (n=3) including caudal rami. Dorsal cephalothoracic shield circular, slightly wider than long, 3.20–3.37 × 3.35‒3.41 (3.29 × 3.38), excluding marginal membranes; lateral margins evenly convex and ornamented with array of about 25 short sensillae (mean length 63 µm ±2.3, n =10) extending dorsally over broad membrane along each lateral margin (Fig. 1B); anterior part of frontal plate bearing narrow membrane (Fig. 1C). Thoracic zone of shield wider than long 1.80–1.84 × 2.00‒2.06 (1.82 × 2.03); inwardly sloped posterolateral margins forming narrow, posterior protrusion in middle of rear margin; posterior margin of thoracic zone extending beyond posterior ends of lateral zones. Fourth pedigerous somite, subrectangular, distinctly separated from genital complex, wider than long, 0.46–0.50 × 1.25‒1.29 (0.48 × 1.27). Genital complex (Figs. 1A, 1D) wider than long 1.10‒1.16 × 1.53‒1.57 (1.13 × 1.55), anterolateral corners rounded; medio-dorsal surface with prominent subrectangular swelling (0.58 × 0.90) (Fig. 1A, asterisk); lateral margins slightly convex; posterolateral corners distinctly lobate, extending posteriorly about to posterior end of first abdominal somite; ventral surface ornamented with numerous sensillae (Fig. 1D, arrows) and bearing two subrectangular flap-like processes on medioventral surface either side of median line (Fig. 1D, arrowheads), left and right processes subequal (0.12 × 0.29 mm, 0.11 × 0.26 mm, respectively). Abdomen (Fig. 1D) 2-segmented; anal somite 0.33‒0.37 × 0.31‒0.35 (0.35 × 0.33) about 1.2 times longer than first abdominal somite 0.27‒0.31 × 0.31‒0.35 (0.29 × 0.33); entire abdomen comprising 57% of length of genital complex (measured along mid-line). Caudal ramus (Fig. 1D) subrectangular, longer than wide, 0.26‒0.30 × 0.16‒0.18 (0.28 × 0.17), about 44% of length of entire abdomen: armed with 6 pinnate setae.</p><p>Antennule (Fig. 2A) 2-segmented, proximal segment c. 3.5 times wider than distal segment and c. 2.3 times longer; armed with 27 plumose setae on anterior and antero-ventral surfaces, one large and one small knob-like processes present at ventrodistal corner of proximal segment (Fig. 2A, arrowhead); distal segment short, armed with 1 subterminal seta on posterior margin and 11 setae plus 2 aesthetascs around apex.</p><p>Antenna (Fig. 2B) uniramous, 3-segmented; proximal segment produced posteriorly into subtriangular, blunt, spinous process; middle segment subrectangular; distal segment forming curved claw armed with spiniform seta distally and bearing tiny sensilla on inner margin.</p><p>Postantennal process (Fig. 2C) with weakly curved tapering tine and armed with 2 multisensillate basal papillae; similar multisensillate papilla located on adjacent ventral cephalothoracic surface, near base of postantennal process.</p><p>Maxillule (Fig. 2D) bifid; outer tine shorter and more slender than inner; anterior papilla bearing 1 long and 2 short setae.</p><p>Maxilla typical for the genus (not illustrated).</p><p>Maxilliped (Figs. 2E,F) subchelate; protopodal segment (corpus) robust; inner margin of corpus bearing prominent rounded protrusion proximally (Fig. 2E, large arrow), anterolateral part ornamented with small cuticular knob (Fig. 2E, small arrow), inner margin on anterior part bearing large swelling (Figs. 2E,F, arrowheads); terminal claw bearing seta at base and ornamented with flange on either side (Fig. 2F, arrows).</p><p>Sternal furca (Fig. 3A) with short, spatulate, divergent tines, each tine surrounded with flange; box subrectangular and located in deep cavity.</p><p>Leg 1 (Figs. 3B–D; 4A,B) biramous with segmented exopod and vestigial endopod. Sympod armed with lateral plumose seta and inner seta; ventral surface of sympod ornamented with patch of tiny spinules (Fig. 3B, arrowhead). Endopod vestigial, indistinctly 2-segmented and carrying minute vestigial seta at apex (Fig. 3C). Proximal exopodal segment (Figs. 3D, 4A) about 1.5 times longer than distal segment, bearing small spine on outer distal corner and row of setules along inner margin. Distal exopodal segment (Figs. 3D, 4B) armed with 3 plumose setae posteriorly plus 4 terminal elements; outermost element (spine 1) ornamented with serrated hyaline membrane along inner margin, middle 2 elements (spines 2 and 3) each bearing single prominent accessory process (Fig. 4B, arrowheads), innermost element (seta 4) naked and about equal in length to adjacent spine (spine 3).</p><p>Leg 2 (Figs. 3E, 4C,D) biramous; with separate coxa and basis; coxa small, carrying long inner plumose seta plus sensillum on ventral surface; basis large, armed with short pinnate seta on outer distal corner, ornamented with flap of membrane anteriorly reflexed back across dorsal surface of segment, plus strip of membrane along posterior margin and prominent sensillum near middle of margin. Exopod (Fig. 3E, 4C) 3-segmented: first segment, largest, subrectangular, bearing long, bilaterally-serrated outer spine and inner plumose seta; segment 2 with outer spine and inner plumose seta plus pore on ventral surface (Fig. 3E, arrowhead); segment 3 armed with bilaterally-serrate proximal spine; slightly curved middle spine directed away from long axis of ramus and ornamented with large strip of hyaline membrane along outer margin; apical spine with marginal membrane laterally and pinnules medially, plus 5 inner plumose setae. Endopod (Fig. 3E, 4D) 3-segmented; first and second endopodal segments with 1 and 2 inner plumose setae, respectively; segment 3 with 6 plumose setae; outer margin of first endopodal segment slightly expanded distally and bearing tuft of setules, second segment ornamented with row of fine setules along outer margin, terminal segment ornamented with tuft of setules on outer proximal corner.</p><p>Leg 3 (Figs. 5A, 6A) Exopod 3-segmented: first segment ornamented with 3 setules arrayed along outer margin, plus strip of hyaline membrane around outer distal corner (Fig. 5A arrowhead), and armed with prominent, triangular, outer spine ornamented with hyaline membrane along outer margin; second segment ornamented with rows of fine setules along inner and outer margins, and carrying outer spine plus inner plumose seta (not visible in Fig. 6A); inner and outer margins of third segment ornamented with row of fine setules, armed with 3 unequal outer spines and 5 short plumose setae along distal and inner margins (Fig. 5A). Endopod 2-segmented: proximal segment expanded laterally to form short velum closing space between endopod and exopod, armed with long inner plumose seta, and ornamented with setules along free margin of velum; compound distal segment with 6 plumose setae.</p><p>Leg 4 (Figs. 5B–E, 6B–F) uniramous. Protopod subrectangular, about 3 times longer than wide and 90% of length of exopod, ornamented with sensillae, and armed with small plumose seta on outer distal corner (Figs. 5B arrowhead, 6B arrow). Exopod 3-segmented: first segment with 1 tiny bilaterally serrate distal spine with pecten at base (Figs. 5C, 6B arrowhead), outer margin of segment ornamented with 4 sensillae; second segment with longer bilaterally serrate, weakly curved lateral spine plus 3 small, digitiform pectens at base (Figs. 5D, 6C); third segment (Fig. 5E, 6C,D) with 3 apical spines; innermost spine longest, with serrate membrane along inner margin, 3 large digitiform pectens plus pore at base (Fig. 6D, arrowhead), middle and outermost spines distinctly shorter than inner spine and with serrate membranes along inner and outer margins. Second and third segments ornamented with minute serrations along inner margins (Figs. 6E,F arrowhead).</p><p>Spine (Roman numerals) and seta (Arabic numerals) formula of legs 1–4 as follows:</p><p>Exopod Endopod</p><p>Leg 1 I-0; III, 1, 3 vestigial</p><p>Leg 2 I-1; I-1; II, I, 5 0-1; 0-2; 6</p><p>Leg 3 I-0; I-1; III, 5 0-1; 6</p><p>Leg 4 I-0; I, III absent</p><p>Leg 5 (Figs. 7A–D) represented by 2 papillae located close to posterolateral corner of genital complex; outer papilla bearing one plumose seta (Fig. 7A, arrowhead); inner papilla modified into well-developed, elongate, spiniform process extending slightly beyond posterior margin of entire abdomen. Length of spinous fifth leg about 95% of length of genital complex. Dorsal surface of spinous process ornamented with numerous sensillae (Fig. 7B,C), ventral surface bearing medioventral papilla with 1 seta (c. 107 µm) located at mid-length of process plus 2 subapical naked setae (Fig. 7C). Distal tip of spinous fifth leg with subapical indentation; forming spearhead-like process, ornamented with sensillae (Fig. 7D).</p><p>Adult male. Body (Fig. 8A) 3.8 mm long, excluding caudal setae. Dorsal cephalothoracic shield subcircular, slightly longer than wide, 2.29 × 2.20 excluding marginal hyaline membranes; lateral margins slightly convex and ornamented with array of 22 small compound sensillae extending dorsally over marginal membrane along each side (Figs. 8B, 9B arrowheads). Free thoracic zone of shield wider than long, 0.95 × 1.39, comprising about 42% of length of cephalothorax. Fourth pedigerous somite wider than long, 0.29 × 0.61, distinctly divided from genital complex. Genital complex slightly longer than wide, 0.56 × 0.53, c. 24% of length of cephalothorax, with subtriangular posterolateral lobes. Abdomen 2-segmented (Figs. 8C; 9C, D), first abdominal somite subrectangular, 0.12 × 0.27, anal somite quadrangular, 0.27 × 0.27, about 2.3 times longer than first somite, entire abdomen about 70% of length of genital complex, combined length of genital complex and entire abdomen about 41% of length of cephalothorax. Caudal rami (Figs. 8C; 9D) 0.31 × 0.14, c. 2.2 times longer than wide, bearing 6 long pinnate setae, inner and outer most distinctly shorter than other 4 setae.</p><p>Antennule (Fig. 8D) 2-segmented, proximal segment armed with 27 plumose setae on anterior and antero-ventral surfaces, one large and one small knob-like processes present at ventrodistal corner of proximal segment (Fig. 8E); distal segment short and slender, armed with 1 subterminal seta on posterior margin and 11 setae plus 2 aesthetascs around apex. Antenna (Figs. 10A, 11A) 3-segmented; proximal segment long, narrow, with long corrugated adhesion pad on mid-outer surface (Fig. 11A arrowhead); middle segment largest, with large corrugated pads on posterior and medial surfaces, plus 2 small anterolateral corrugated pads forming subtriangular projections on either side of segment (Fig. 11A large arrows); distal segment of antenna bearing single, acutely recurved, tapering claw (Fig. 11A asterisks) plus two basal setae (Fig. 11A narrow arrows). Postantennal process (Fig. 10B) bearing a weakly curved, blunt tipped tine and 2 basal papillae each with 4 sensillae; another papilla with 4 sensillae present on adjacent ventral cephalothoracic surface. Mandible (Fig. 10C) stylet-like, with 12 inner teeth near apex.</p><p>Maxillule (Figs. 10D–E, 11C) comprising anterior papilla carrying 3 small unequal setae plus posterior process bearing two unequal blunt tines and short medial process (Fig. 11C arrows); outer tine longer than inner tine and medial process, inner tine ornamented with minute distal spinule (Fig. 10E). Large pear-shaped corrugated pad (post oral process) (Fig. 11C arrowheads) present on ventral cephalothoracic surface just posterior to inner tine of maxillule.</p><p>Maxilla (Figs.10F,G) 2-segmented, brachiform; proximal segment (lacertus)unarmed;distal segment (brachium) slender, c. 1.6 times longer than lacertus, carrying large flabellum (hyaline membrane) on inner margin (Fig. 10F arrowhead) plus short canna and long calamus distally; proximal half of distal segment c. 1.9 times broader than slender distal half, inner and outer margins of brachium ornamented with minute indentations distally (Fig. 10G).</p><p>Maxilliped (Figs. 11C, 12A–C) with robust, subrectangular proximal segment (corpus), ornamented with laterally-directed, lobate myxal process (Fig. 11C arrowhead), surface of corpus and myxal process ornamented with numerous irregularly-scattered tiny spinules (Figs. 12A arrowheads, 12B). Small cuticular knob (Fig. 12C) present on mid-inner margin of corpus; distal subchela representing fused endopodal segments plus terminal claw; subchela armed with tiny knob (Figs. 11C and 12A, black arrow) near outer distal corner, small seta (Figs. 11C and 12A, black arrowhead), and additional longer simple seta at base of claw. Sternal furca (Figs. 12D, 13A) similar to that of female, spatulate tines extending slightly beyond intercoxal sclerite of leg 1 (Fig. 13A). Legs 1 to 4 as in female.</p><p>Leg 5 (Figs. 12E,F, 13B) represented by 2 papillae on mid-lateral margin of genital complex; anterior papilla small and carrying 1 plumose seta (Fig. 13B arrow), posterior (exopodal) papilla distinctly larger than anterior papilla, forming slender process bearing 3 longer plumose setae. Seta on anterior papilla smallest (Fig. 12F).</p><p>Leg 6 (Figs. 12D and 13B) located at posteroventral corner of genital complex, represented by 3 plumose setae; anterior seta (Fig. 13B arrowhead) smallest, posterior 2 setae about 3 times longer than anterior seta. Papilla of posteriormost seta forming subtriangular projection covering base of seta.</p><p>3.2 Sequence identity</p><p>We successfully obtained partial sequences for two genomic regions of interest through the binary alignments of forward and reverse reads. For the COI gene region, a partial sequence length of 552 base pairs (bp) (GenBank Accession Number: PP510628) was achieved, while for the 18S rDNA region, a sequence of 1647 bp was obtained (GenBank Accession Number: PP512934).</p><p>A BLAST search for the COI gene sequence found the highest match was found with Lepeophtheirus confusum (Accession Number KU317593.1), showcasing a query coverage of 96%, an E value of 2e-152, and a percentage identity of 85.23%. In contrast, the BLAST search for the 18S rDNA sequence revealed a match with Lepeophtheirus goniistii (Accession Number KR048779.1), a query coverage of 100%, an E value of 0, and a percentage identity of 98.42%.</p><p>Following multiple sequence alignments, the COI dataset was trimmed from both ends to match the length of the shortest sequence, resulting in a consolidated sequence of 358 base pairs (bp) in length. Similarly, for the 18S rDNA sequences, after conducting multiple alignments, the dataset underwent a refinement process using GBlocks to eliminate poorly aligned positions and non-conserved regions. This post-alignment optimization yielded a curated sequence of 1118 bp, which corresponds to 65% of the original 1819 positions.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EE27878ACA53FFFAFF1F9CBB1236F95C	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Sönmez, Serdar;Kamanli, Seyit Ali;Yanar, Alper;Boxshall, Geoffrey A.;Özak, Argun Akif	Sönmez, Serdar, Kamanli, Seyit Ali, Yanar, Alper, Boxshall, Geoffrey A., Özak, Argun Akif (2025): The discovery of the male Lepeophtheirus lichiae Barnard, 1948 (Copepoda: Caligidae) from the Eastern Mediterranean with morphological description and molecular phylogenetic analysis. Zootaxa 5723 (4): 451-488, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5723.4.1, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5723.4.1
