First Record of Lobothorax Typus from Odisha Coast, India, with Molecular Characterisation and Observation of its Biphasic Moulting

Two distinct morphologies of Cymothoidae isopod, Lobothorax typus were collected from the marine water of Bay of Bengal, Goapalpur-on-Sea as the first record of this parasite from coastal water of Odisha, India. All specimens were found attached to the buccal region of different individuals of the same host fish Trichiurus lepturus. With the aid of COI gene sequencing and morphological analysis, the individuals were found to be conspecific. The most prominent variation among the two morphologies includes the size of 5th pereonite and pleon length to total body length ratio. These variations are as a result of the biphasic moulting process. Maximum Likelihood tree analysis based on COI gene sequences concluded the monophyletic taxonomy of different buccal attaching genera under the family Cymothoidae which is in congruence with their morphological divergence.