Lernaeid Copepod Parasites (Crustacea: Copepoda: Lernaeidae) Hitherto Known from Fishes of India

A consolidated list of lernaeid copepod parasites comprising of 29 species occurring in 24 host fishes from different states of India has been compiled and presented for the first time in this communication. Lernaeids are harmful ectoparasites of ornamental as well as cultured fishes (including brackishwater bheries). Among the states, Punjab represents the maximum number of lernaeid copepods (10 species), followed by Karnataka (7 species), Andhra Pradesh (6 species) and West Bengal (3 species). So, far ten states showed their occurrences in India including in Kerala and Kashmir representing 2 species each, while one species each occurred Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Tripura.