The First Record of Bopyrid Isopod Urobopyrus processae (Richardson, 1904) in the Estuarine Alpheid Shrimp Alpheus estuariensis from the Vellar Estuary, Southeast Coast of India

In this study, we report the first occurrence of the bopyrid isopod Urobopyrus processae in the estuarine alpheid shrimp Alpheus estuariensis from the Vellar Estuary, southeast coast of India. Shrimps were collected between November 2024 and April 2025 fortnightly and examined for parasitic infestation. Infestation was identified by bulging of the carapace and the presence of isopods in the branchial chamber or abdomen. In all collected alpheid shrimps (n=412), the parasitic infested animals were 3.39%. Our results also showed a higher prevalence of infestation in female shrimps (71%) than males (29%). A positive correlation (R2 = 0.3138; p