Additional distribution and ecology records of the deep-water isopod Rocinela murilloi Brusca & Iverson, 1985 (Isopoda, Aegidae) in western Mexico

Abstract

A series of specimens of the fish external parasite Rocinella murilloi Brusca and Iverson, 1985, is reported from 12 localities off western Mexico. These records are the first for southwestern Mexico (four) and add six new localities off the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula where the species was known from a single record. The specimens were recovered from bottom-operated nets, between 700 and 1235 m, slightly shallower than previous records. Environmental conditions confirm the presence of R. murilloi below the core of the Oxygen Minimum Zone, and this species appears to be highly tolerant to moderate to severe hypoxic conditions. General distribution of the species in the eastern Pacific is presented.