Occurrence of epibiontic suctorian protozoans on marine <i>Ostracod Cypridina</i> dentata (Muller, 1906) in the North Eastern Arabian Sea

Abstract

The <i>Cypridina dentata<i> samples collected from North Eastern Arabian Sea, during spring inter monsoon were infested with protozoan epibionts in densities of 10 to 24 individuals per ostracod. Epibionts are suctorian ciliate protozoan species <i>Acineta satyanandani</i> and <i>Paracineta karunakarani<i>. Epibionts colonized the entire body surface, but were most numerous on the dorsal region of the carapace. Maximum number of epibionts was found on females, when compared to the male organisms. Live ostracod specimens infested with epibionts were less active than the uninfested ones and these results further suggest that epibiontic protozoans may also influence the activity of ostracods and therefore may play a substantial role in ostracod production and community dynamics. Epibiontic suctorians on ostracod <i>Cypridina dentata<i> were analysed and identified for the first time from North Eastern Arabian Sea.