
%0 Journal Article
%A Owens, L 
%T Prevalence of <I>Cabirops orbionei</I> (Epicaridea; Cryptoniscidae) in northern Australia: A biocontrol agent for bopyrids
%J Marine and Freshwater Research
%D 1993/06/01
%V 44
%N 3
%P 381-387
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9930381
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF9930381 
%X In the Gulf of Carpentaria, bopyrids cause a loss of production to prawn fisheries  due to sterilization. On the east coast of Queensland, the cabiropsid hyperparasite  Cabirops orbionei sterilizes bopyrids. The hyperparasite was examined as a  possible biocontrol agent for bopyrids. An ANOVA linear model using main  effects only, was fitted to the data and accounted for 41% of the variability in  the intensity of infection. Month, bopyrid reproductive status, prawn species,  area of sampling, bopyrid species and prawn size accounted, respectively, for  10, 10, 7, 6, 5 and 3% of the explained variability. Prevalence of C. orbionei  dropped from a maximum of 50% in February to a minimum of 10% in August  before starting to rise again. Hyperparasitized bopyrids were usually fully  sterilized by the cabiropsid. The most commonly hyperparasitized prawn  was Penaeus esculentus, followed by Penaeus sernisulcatus, Penaeus  longistylus and Penaeus latisulcatus; Metapenaeus endeavouri was not  infected at all. Prevalence was almost uniform from Torres Strait to Halifax  Bay but dropped precipitously at Cape Upstart. Epipenaeon ingens was 4-5  times more heavily infected than other bopyrid species. Prevalence of C.  Orbionei rose to a maximum at 34-36 mm carapace length of prawn and  dropped slowly thereafter. 
