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Ectoparasitism by a fish louse on a stream-dwelling tadpole of Buergeria buergeri (Anura: Rhacophoridae) in Japan

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  • Akihiro Noda
Akihiro Noda
Kyoto University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19686

Published 2026-09-24

Keywords

  • Anura,
  • fish stocking,
  • Kajika Frog,
  • lotic environment,
  • opportunistic parasitism

How to Cite

Noda, A. (2026). Ectoparasitism by a fish louse on a stream-dwelling tadpole of Buergeria buergeri (Anura: Rhacophoridae) in Japan. Acta Herpetologica. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19686

Copyright (c) 2026 Akihiro Noda

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Stream-dwelling anuran larvae may be exposed to ectoparasites originating from sympatric fishes, yet such interactions are rarely documented. During laboratory rearing of tadpoles of the Kajika frog Buergeria buergeri, collected from a stream in central Japan, a fish louse was found attached to the dorsal body of a tadpole. The parasite was identified as a male Argulus coregoni based on diagnostic morphological characters. A bite mark was observed on the tadpole, but the individual subsequently completed metamorphosis without apparent abnormalities. A. coregoni is a widespread freshwater ectoparasite that primarily parasitizes salmonid fishes but is known to exhibit low host specificity. Although several species of Argulus have been reported as ectoparasites of amphibians, published field records have so far been limited to ranid and hylid hosts. The present observation appears to represent the first published record of A. coregoni parasitizing an anuran tadpole and extends the known amphibian host range of Argulus to a stream-dwelling rhacophorid species. Because salmonid fishes are frequently stocked in Japanese rivers, human-mediated introductions may increase opportunities for contact between fish-associated ectoparasites and non-fish hosts.

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