Cymothoid Isopod Parasitism of Fishes in Campbell Cove, Bodega Bay, California, USA

Fishes were collected from Campbell Cove of Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., and examined for the presence of parasitic isopods to expand upon the 1986 survey by Waugh et al. (1989). The isopod Elthusa californica was found to parasitize Cymatogaster aggregata and Atherinops affinis with slightly less prevalence than observed by Waugh et al. (1989), but these differences were not statistically significant. Four additional hosts for this isopod were also recorded. A second species of parasitic isopod previously unrecorded in Campbell Cove, Elthusa vulgaris, was also found on 4 hosts. The presence of a second species of parasitic isopod along with new host/parasite records suggests that this area may be important for future isopod research and should continue to be monitored.