Occurrence of infestation with the isopod, M. Edwards (Crustacea: Flabellifera: Aegidae) on commercially important freshwater fishes of Kerala, India.

Rapidly rising temperatures and increasing organic load in the inland and coastal waters has led to a significant increase in parasite population. The isopod infestation on fish in these waters have become more frequent, causing mortalities in both wild and cultured fishes. The present study was aimed to investigate the infestation on different fish hosts, mean intensity, prevalence, environmental influences on the parasite abundance and the histopathological changes it causes in the host.