crustacean louse

crustacean louse, any of various small aquatic invertebrates of the subphylum Crustacea (phylum Arthropoda) that are parasites of fish. Crustacean lice include fish lice (subclass Branchiura), copepod fish parasites (subclass Copepoda), and amphipod and isopod fish parasites (class Malacostraca). Of the latter, the family Cymothoidae (order Isopoda) is of special interest, as it is exclusively parasitic and infests both marine and freshwater fishes. Crustacean lice may live on the outer skin of the fish, under the bony covering protecting the gills, in the mouth cavity, and even within the host’s abdominal cavity in some South American freshwater species. The main adaptation of the cymothoids is the development of powerful thoracic claws for secure attachment. These claws are so efficient that the parasites occasionally turn up in tinned fish products, having survived the canning process.