Another record of Pennella instructa (Copepoda, Pennellidae) parasitizing swordfish Xiphias gladius in the South Atlantic, after 20 years ago

Abstract

The species of the genus Pennella is a highly modified copepod that have been found parasitizing several species of fishes in Atlantic waters. Although these parasites have been recorded several times in the Atlantic Ocean, little is known about them in South Atlantic waters, except for one report published 20 years ago. The present contribution reports the occurrence of Pennella instructa Wilson, 1917 parasitizing the swordfish Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 in the South Atlantic. The prevalence of infestation was 15.6% and the mean intensity of infestation was 1.6, ranging from 1 to 3.