fish louse

fish louse
any of numerous small crustaceans, esp. certain copepods, parasitic on the skin and gills of fish.

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also called  Carp Louse,  plural  Fish Lice, or Carp Lice,  

      any member of the crustacean subclass Branchiura, a group of parasites of migratory marine and freshwater fishes. Of the approximately 120 known species, most belong to the genus Argulus. The fish louse has a very distinctive oval-shaped, flattened body formed by a broad carapace. Other notable physical features include compound eyes, a pair of large suckers, four pairs of branched thoracic swimming limbs, and a tiny unsegmented abdomen. The body measures about 10 to 30 mm (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. Most fish lice are effective swimmers, but many species tend to move through the water by a somersaulting action. They attach themselves to the skin of the host with their strong suckers, and they feed on its blood or mucus by using modified disklike piercing and sucking mouthparts. Unlike many related parasitic crustaceans, they deposit their eggs rather than carry them attached to the body.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fish louse — Fish Fish, n.; pl. {Fishes} (f[i^]sh [e^]z), or collectively, {Fish}. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. {Piscatorial}. In some cases,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fish louse — noun a kind of copepod • Hypernyms: ↑copepod, ↑copepod crustacean • Member Holonyms: ↑Branchiura, ↑order Branchiura * * * noun : any of various small crustaceans (as the carp louse) parasitic on fishes; …   Useful english dictionary

  • fish-louse — /ˈfɪʃ laʊs/ (say fish lows) noun (plural fish lice) any of numerous small crustaceans, especially certain copepods, parasitic on fish …  

  • fish louse — noun a parasitic crustacean which attaches itself to the skin or gills of fish. [Many species in classes Branchiura and Copepoda.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • fish louse — any crustacean parasitic on fishes. Usually refers to Argulus (Branchiura) found on the skin and occasionally the buccal cavity. Causes ulcers at the attachment point …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • fish-louse — any crustacean parasitic on fishes. Usually refers to Argulus (Branchiura) found on the skin and occasionally the buccal cavity. Causes ulcers at the attachment point …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • Fish — Fish, n.; pl. {Fishes} (f[i^]sh [e^]z), or collectively, {Fish}. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. {Piscatorial}. In some cases, such… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fish — Fish, n.; pl. {Fishes} (f[i^]sh [e^]z), or collectively, {Fish}. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. {Piscatorial}. In some cases, such… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fish ball — Fish Fish, n.; pl. {Fishes} (f[i^]sh [e^]z), or collectively, {Fish}. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. {Piscatorial}. In some cases,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fish bar — Fish Fish, n.; pl. {Fishes} (f[i^]sh [e^]z), or collectively, {Fish}. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. {Piscatorial}. In some cases,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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