Dendrogaster Explained

Dendrogaster is a genus of endoparasitic crustaceans belonging to the family Dendrogastridae.^[1] Its habitat depth varies widely, ranging from the intertidal zone to approximately 2,500 m.

The genus has cosmopolitan distribution. They parasitize the coelom of asteroids (sea stars).^{[2] [3]} At present, Dendrogaster have been discovered in eighteen families of sea stars, implying a non-specific host preference.^[4]

Species

Species:

• Dendrogaster antarctica
• Dendrogaster arborescens
• Dendrogaster arbusculus
• Dendrogaster komatsuae
• Dendrogaster tobasuii
• Dendrogaster nagasakimaruae

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dendrogaster Knipovich, 1890 . www.gbif.org . 18 June 2021 . en.
2. Saito . Nobuhiro . Wakabayashi . Kaori . Moritaki . Takeya . Three New Species of Dendrogaster (Crustacea: Ascothoracida) Infecting Goniasterid Sea-Stars (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from Japan . Species Diversity . 2020 . 25 . 1 . 75–87 . 10.12782/specdiv.25.75 . free .
3. Hamel . Jean-François . Mercier . Annie . New distribution and host record for the starfish parasite Dendrogaster (Crustacea: Ascothoracida) . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom . 2009 . 74 . 2 . 419–425 . 10.1017/S0025315400039436 . 84983003 .
4. Jimi . Naoto . Kobayashi . Itaru . Moritaki . Takeya . Woo . Sau Pinn . Tsuchida . Shinji . Fujiwara . Yoshihiro . 2023-06-01 . Insights into the diversification of deep-sea endoparasites: Phylogenetic relationships within Dendrogaster (Crustacea: Ascothoracida) and a new species description from a western Pacific seamount . Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers . 196 . 104025 . 10.1016/j.dsr.2023.104025 . 2023DSRI..19604025J . 257748131 . 0967-0637.