Question

Which parasite causes parasitic castration of crab?
A. Louisiane
B. Sacculina
C. Cyclops
D. Daphnia

Answer 1

The parasitic castration of crab is caused by the Sacculina parasitic species, this parasite blocks the reproductive part of the host crab because such kind of parasite feeds on the reproductive organ of the host and make them partially feminize males.

Complete answer:
Sacculina belongs to the genus of barnacles that act as parasitic castrator of crabs. In parasitic castration, the parasite plays a strategy in which it blocks the reproduction of the host partially or fully because it feeds on host reproductive organs by blocking them. The thing that creates infertility in the host.
C. Cyclops:- It is the genera of freshwater copepods that consist of 400 species. It has a large single eye, which is either red or black. They are commonly known as water fleas. Cyclops belong to phylum Arthropoda and genus cyclops. Cyclops broadly oval in the front head with the first five thoracic segments and the hind part is slimmer and consists of the sixth thoracic segment and four legless pleonic segments. It causes guinea- worm disease and acts as an intermediate parasite in guinea and transmitted to humans via cyclops infected water.
D. Daphnia:- It is a genus of small planktonic crustaceans which belongs to phylum Arthropoda and order of cladoceran. These are found in acidic swamp water to freshwater regions. The body of daphnia is divided but segments are not visible, the head is fused and bent toward the body which appears as a notch. The body is covered by a carapace and has five or six pairs of legs along with compound eyes and antennae. Microsporidia are the largest parasitic group of parasitic species of Daphnia.
Hence, the correct option is B.

Note: Not only Sacculina show reproductive parasitism in arthropods but proteobacterium Wolbachia also famous for their reproductive parasitic nature. It alone infects more than 50 percent of all terrestrial arthropod species.