Bopyrus squillarum is a parasite on the common Palaemon serratus. Researchers from GMIT’s Marine and Freshwater Research Centre have noticed a high parasite load in the common prawn fishery in Galway Bay. As an extremely visible parasite (see images below) we thought it would be a useful exercise to post some images of this species and alert recorders to its appearance in an effort to get a better understanding of the distribution of this species around Ireland.
You can record this species on your Seasearch form as part of any of the Seasearch Ireland schemes or directly with the National Biodiversity Data Centre here.
So get examining your prawns and let’s fill in that map below.
