Table 4 Life cycle of Cymothoa frontalis
Stages of life cycle | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Marsupial stage | Zygotic stage | Round or oval, light florescent yellow (size: 1.2 to 1.3 mm) | |
Embryonic stages (ES) | ES I | Subspherical to ovoid embryo, structural differentiation not evident, light florescent yellow in colour (size: 1.3 to 1.5 mm length and 1.25 to 1.3 mm width) | |
ES II | Elongate/oblong embryo with a cephalic end and early limb bud developed. Pigmentation in the eyespot started. (size: 1.6 to 1.85 mm length and 1.3 to 1.35 mm width) | ||
ES III | Curved and segmented embryos with pigmented eyespots, thoracic and abdominal limb buds appeared. Dorsal surface shows chromatophores. (size: 1.9 to 2.0 mm length and 1.3 to 1.400 mm width) | ||
Larval stages | Pre-manca | The first hatched larvae remain in the marsupium and undergo moulting to transform into manca. (Description is given in the text) | |
Manca | Final marsupial stage released in the surrounding medium. (Description is given in the text) | ||
Free living stage | Manca | Free swimming stage. Swim and search for specific host (S. strongylura) | |
Infective stage | Manca | Infectious stage attaches to the host (S. strongylura) and then undergoes moulting to transform into juvenile | |
Juvenile | It undergoes moulting to transform into male. (Description is given in the text) | ||
Male | It undergoes a moulting process and enters into the transitional stage. (Description is given in the text) | ||
Transitional stage | It undergoes a moult to transform into the female stage 1 (Fs 1). (Description is given in the text) | ||
Female | Fs 1 | Ovigerous female with fully grown ovary and with newly formed brood plates, but no marsupiumites. Undergo oviposition to form Fs 2 | |
Fs 2 | Ovigerous female with growing ovary and carry first set of brood and marsupiumites show synchrony in their development | ||
Fs 3 | Ovigerous female with growing ovary and carrying empty old brood pouch, after releasing manca. It undergoes a moult to transform into Fs 4 | ||
Fs 4 | Ovigerous female with growing ovary and no brood pouch/brood plates. It undergoes a moult to transform into Fs 5 | ||
Fs 5 | Ovigerous female with newly formed brood plates but no marsupiumites. It undergoes oviposition to form Fs 6 | ||
Fs 6 | Ovigerous female carrying second brood and marsupiumites show synchrony in their development | ||