Temporal partitioning: dynamics of alternating occupancy of a host microhabitat by two different crustacean parasites

Double infection by 2 crustacean parasites was found on the mysidSiriella okadaicollected from the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. An epicaridean isopod,Prodajus curviabdominalis, and a siphonostomatoid copepod,Neomysidion rahotsu, both occupied the lumen of the host marsupium, and fed voraciously upon host eggs. Interestingly, adult females of these 2 parasites occurred alternately on the host, with almost no overlap: the copepod occurred from mid-winter to summer when water temperatures were