A New Species of Freshwater Bopyrid, Probopyrus iriomotensis (Crustacea: Isopoda), Parasitizing Macrobrachium spp. (Crustacea: Decapoda), from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Islands, Southwestern Japan

Scientists have discovered a new species of freshwater bopyrid isopod, Probopyrus iriomotensis, parasitizing palaemonid freshwater shrimps on Iriomote Island, Japan. This marks the first record of a Bopyridae species in a freshwater environment within Japan. The parasite primarily infects Macrobrachium shokitai but occasionally targets M.formosense. Distinguishing features include unique pleomere and pleotelson characteristics, body width, and body axis deflection. The study also clarifies the authorship date of Probopyrus marinus and questions the generic assignment of two marine species. This discovery contributes to our understanding of bopyrid diversity and host-parasite relationships in freshwater ecosystems.

Saito, N., Shokita, S., & Naruse, T. (2010). A New Species of Freshwater Bopyrid, Probopyrus iriomotensis (Crustacea: Isopoda), Parasitizing Macrobrachium spp. (Crustacea: Decapoda), from Iriomote Island, Ryukyu Islands, Southwestern Japan. Species Diversity, 15(3-4), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.12782/specdiv.15.169