Hooked on you: shape of attachment structures in cymothoid isopods reflects parasitic strategy

摘要

Permanent ectoparasites derive almost all of their energy and habitat requirements from a single host source [1]. Thus, traits for attachment function, which are imposed by this lifestyle, are critical for parasite survival and reproduction. These traits are often ecomorphologically significant, segregating species between different host niches [2, 3]. Morphologies shared by parasite species are likely, then, to reflect similarities in their host use. In a co-evolutionary context, attachment traits may also drive specialisation of location upon a host, partly define the limits of a parasite’s host range (i.e. the breadth of host species it could infest), or enable permanent switches to different host species entirely [4].