Tracheliastes polycolpus
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| Tracheliastes polycolpus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Copepoda |
| Order: | Siphonostomatoida |
| Family: | Lernaeopodidae |
| Genus: | Tracheliastes |
| Species: | T. polycolpus |
| Binomial name | |
| Tracheliastes polycolpus | |
Tracheliastes polycolpus is a species of copepod in the family Lernaeopodidae.[1] It is an ectoparasite of a number of freshwater fish in Western Europe, including the beaked dace Leuciscus burdigalensis,[2] the common dace Leuciscus leuciscus,[3] and occasionally a few other fish species.[2] The subspecies Tracheliastes polycolpus baicalensis has been described from Lake Baikal.[4] The parasite attaches itself to the fins of the host, and lives on the mucus and epithelial cells of the host.[2]