The mesoparasitic genera of the Ergasilidae (Copepoda): with descriptions of new species of Paeonodes Wilson and Therodamas Krøyer.

One species of each of the three mesoparasitic ergasilid genera, Therodamas Krøyer, Mugilicola Tripathi and Paeonodes Wilson, is described in detail. The descriptions of P. subviridis n. sp. and Mugilicola bulbosus Tripathi are based on new material collected from Liza subviridis (Valenciennes) from Guam and India, respectively. The description of Therodamas frontalis n. sp. is based on material from Mugil cephalus L. in Brazil and the redescription of Therodamas serrani Krøyer is based on examination of syntype material. The geographical distributions of all three genera are summarised. Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between species of these three genera indicates that Paeonodes and Mugilicola form a single clade and that Paeonodes, as currently constituted, is paraphyletic.