Interactions between Portunion Conformis (Epicaridea: Entoniscidae) and two host species
Portunion conformis castrates the crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis. Piltz (1969) found P. conformis in both H. oregonensis and Hemigrapsus nudus. Kuris (1971) studied the interactions between P. conformis and H. oregonensis occurring in Bodega Bay, California. In the present study, interactions between this isopod and populations of both hosts in Tomales Bay, California, are described, including the influence of host species, sex and size on parasitic infestation and the effects of the parasites on secondary sexual characteristics of the hosts, as well as interactions between the effects of these variable.
Isopoda, Crabs Parasites, Decapoda (Crustacea), Life Sciences
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