Whale lice (Isocyamus deltobranchium & Isocyamus delphinii; Cyamidae) prevalence in odontocetes off the German and Dutch coasts – morphological and molecular characterization and health implications

Whale lice (Cyamidae; Amphipoda) are ectoparasitic crustaceans adapted to the marine environment with cetaceans as their host. There are few reports of cyamids occurring in odontocetes from the North Sea, and long-term studies are lacking. Marine mammal health was monitored along the German and Dutch coasts in the past decades, with extensive post mortem investigations conducted. The aim of this study was to analyse archived ectoparasite samples from stranded cetaceans from the North Sea (2010–2019), to determine species, prevalence and impact of ectoparasite infection. Ectoparasites were foun... Mehr ...