Morphological identification and first molecular characterization of Lobothorax typus (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) parasitizing Trichiurus lepturus (Scombriformes: Trichiuridae) in the Philippines.

Parasitic diseases pose a threat to fisheries, negatively affecting the livelihood and food security of billions of people worldwide. Among these, parasitic isopods of fish are not well documented and studied. Thus, we examined the buccal cavity of 385 randomly selected saltwater fishes sold in a fish market in Naic, Cavite, Philippines.