Campos, Ernesto; de Campos, Alma; de León-González, Jesús. 2009. Diversity and ecological remarks of ectocommensals and ectoparasites (Annelida, Crustacea, Mollusca) of echinoids (Echinoidea: Mellitidae) in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. Parasitology Research 105(2): 479-487
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Publication
World Polychaeta Database (WPolyD)
The diversity of symbiotic invertebrates on intertidal and shallow water echinoids of the northwestern Gulf of California was studied. Five ectosymbionts were found: three pinnotherid crabs, Dissodactylus lockingtoni Glassell ( 1935 ), Dissodactylus nitidus Smith (1870), and Dissodactylus xanthusi Glassell ( 1936 ); one eulimid gastropod, Turveria encopendema Berry ( 1956 ); and one polychaete, Struwela sp. We discovered seasonal fluctuation in D. nitidus Smith (1870) and D. xanthusi Glassell ( 1936 ), which result in these species being undetectable during the winter season when the temperature in the head of the Gulf of California drops to 14–18°C; the rest of the species are permanent residents in this area. An updated list of all external macrosymbionts of echinoids of the Mexican Pacific is presented.