ASPECTS OF THE REPRODUCTION OF BOPYRINELLA THORII (RICHARDSON, 1904) (ISOPODA, BOPYRIDAE), A BRANCHIAL PARASITE OF THOR FLORIDANUS KINGSLEY, 1878 (DECAPODA, HIPPOLYTIDAE) IN BAHIA DE LA ASCENSION, MEXICAN CARIBBEAN

The association of Bopyrinella thorii (Richardson, 1904) with Thor floridanus Kingsley, 1878 in seagrass beds of the Mexican Caribbean has been previously reported upon, although without mention of other data relative to the parasitic species' biology. The purpose of this study was to provide information on reproductive aspects of B. thorii from Bahia de la Ascension, Caribbean coast of Mexico. We estimated that B. thorii females initiate reproduction at 1.75 mm total length (TL) and that the size at sexual maturity is 2.1 mm +/- 0.95 TL. The fecundity of B. thorii varied from 83 eggs in smaller females to 1,036 eggs in larger ones. The relationship between the number of eggs and the total length of the females was significant (r = 0.769). This relationship, however, was not progressive, as females of one same size presented a variable number of eggs, particularly in the larger specimens. The size of B. thorii eggs varied from 0.113 to 0.175 mm in the egg to embryo 11 phases, and the size of the epicaridium larvae varied from 0.176 to 0.213 mm. No differences were observed in the size and developmental phase of the eggs within a single brood.