THAMNOCEPHALUS-CEREBRINOXIUS N. G., N. SP. (COPEPODA, SPHYRIIDAE), A PARASITE IN THE NASAL CAPSULES OF LEPTOCHARIAS-SMITHII (MULLER AND HENLE, 1839) (PISCES, LEPTOCHARIIDAE) OFF THE COAST OF SENEGAL
C. Diebakate et al., THAMNOCEPHALUS-CEREBRINOXIUS N. G., N. SP. (COPEPODA, SPHYRIIDAE), A PARASITE IN THE NASAL CAPSULES OF LEPTOCHARIAS-SMITHII (MULLER AND HENLE, 1839) (PISCES, LEPTOCHARIIDAE) OFF THE COAST OF SENEGAL, Systematic parasitology, 38(3), 1997, pp. 231-235
Thamnocephalus cerebrinoxius n. g., n. sp. is a sphyriid copepod found
in the nasal capsules of a small enzootic west African shark, Leptoch
arias smithii (Leptochariidae), caught off the coast of Senegal. The m
ost characteristic feature of this copepod is its holdfast of numerous
, profusely branching dendrites that penetrate the olfactory lobe of t
he host's brain. This type of host-parasite relationship is unique amo
ng all known parasitic copepods.