Population Structure and Reproduction of Pseudione elongata africana (Bopyridae, Isopoda)

The population structure and reproductive fitness of Pseudione elongata africana parasitizing the shrimp Palaemon concinnus were studied in two mangroves in Mozambique. About 100 host specimens were sampled every 15 days for 12 months at Costa do Sol, a peri-urban mangrove near Maputo, and at Saco, a near pristine mangrove at Inhaca Island. Parasites were removed from the branchiostegites of the shrimp and measured. Ovigerous females were selected and the eggs and embryos removed from the brood pouch and counted after staging their level of development. At Costa do Sol, the total length of female parasites (FPTL) was about 17% higher than at Saco. Ovigerous females were also more abundant at Costa do Sol in both the dry and wet seasons. The average brood size ranged from 89 to 207 eggs mm-1 FPTL in the Saco and 177 to 357 eggs mm-1 at Costa do Sol. These data provide baseline information on the population structure and reproduction of this parasite in east African mangroves. Comparative data on these parameters in peri-urban and more isolated mangroves may also lay the groundwork for the use of parasite reproduction as an indicator of anthropogenic pressure.