PARASITIC ISOPODS FROM SEAGRASS - ASSOCIATED MARINE FISHES IN PALK-BAY, SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA

Seagrass meadows are specialized marine flowering plants.It has roots, stems, and leaves, and produces flowers and seeds.Seagrass plays a vital role in protecting marine life and stabilizing seabeds by absorbing CO₂.Forming extensive meadows, they support the heavy metals and high levels of nutrient runoff and maintain the water quality for the high number of associated faunas that have grown in the ecosystem.The major seagrass meadows are distributed in the Lakshadweep, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands and along the southeast coast of India, along the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.There are 14 seagrass species that have been found in the region (Jagtap and Inamdar, 1991).Seagrass is good feed for marine organisms such as turtles, dugongs, and fish.Seagrass beds mostly support the omnivorous species, including parrotfish, mullet fish, and finfish.Parasitic isopods collected between March 2024 and February 2025 were recorded from fishes associated with seagrass habitats.The species Mothocya plagulophora (Haller, 1880), a parasitic isopod, is attached to the host of Hemiramphus far (Forsskål, 1775).The host species is spreading parasitic infections to the fish population.The present paper reveals that parasitic isopods inhabit the seagrass ecosystem.