Description:-

Female.-Cephalothorax broader than long, lateral parts folded downwards. Frontal plates short, placed on a short rostral prolongation. Lunules very small. Antero-lateral parts of cephalo-thorax shoulder-like, postero-lateral rounded. Median lobe more than twice as broad as lateral lobes. Dorsal transverse rib shifted far back to the base of the median lobe. Fourth segment distinct. Genital segment swollen, longer and broader than cephalothorax, with anterior neck. Abdomen enlarged, much narrower than genital segment, anteriorly constricted, distal part free of expansion.Antennule stout. Antenna slender and weak, third segment with swollen base carrying two spines. Post-antennal process absent, post-oral process very small. One of the seta of maxillule very stout. Maxilla small, distal segment with very small outer lobe, claws short, stout and dissimilar. Maxilliped massive. Sternal fork absent.Distal segment of first leg elongated, ventral border with a single spine. Spine-like seta very long, pectinate. Claws long, second longest. First two claws on exopod of second leg similar, third small, basal segment of endopod with a row of long slender spines, second with a row of sharp teeth. Apron of third leg reduced in size, basal claw of exopod with stout base, claw slender, straight and bent inwards, endopod two-jointed, apron having a rounded velum partly covering the overlapping rami. Fourth leg three-jointed, short and stumpy. Genital segment pear-shaped, abdomen two-segmented, narrow, first segment very short. Caudal rami much longer than broad. First two segmets of antenna elongated, second segment with large adhesion pad, its distal inner part produced into a serrate lobe against which the short claw-like third segment closes, base of the claw swollen, with two spines. Post-antennal process long, slender and apically curved.

Threats:-

Not recorded

Remark:-

Reported from Trivandrum, Kerala, India; off northwestern Australia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Arabian Sea, this is a parasite of fishes (Pillai, 1963,

Habitat:-

marine, parasitic on fishes

Synonyms:-

References:-

Pillai, N.K. (1963). Observations on the genus Abasia (Copepoda) with the description of a new species. Crustaceana, Leiden 5(1):1-9
Pillai, N.K. (1985). The Fauna of India. Copepod Parasites of Marine Fishes. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.
Walter, T. Chad (2015). Abasia platyrostris Pillai, 1963. In: Walter, T.C. & Boxshall, G. (2015). World of Copepods database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=292969 on 2015-10-22.
Image Courtesy: Pillai (1985); ZSI