Abstract: | Six species of ergasilid copepods are described, based on material found on 11 species of fishes collected from estuaries and rivers in Kerala, India. Five are new to science, they are: Dermoergasilus varicoleus n. sp. from Liza tade Forskål; Ergasilus parvitergum n. sp. from Etroplus suratensis (Bloch) and Caranx malabaricus (Bloch and Schneider); Ergasilus rostralis n. sp. from Liza tade, L. macrolepis (Smith), and Valamugil seheli (Forskål); Ergasilus uniseriatus n. sp. from Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton) and Xenentodon cancila Hamilton; and Paraergasilus dentatus n. sp. from Glossogobius giuris. Dermoergasilus amplectens (Dogiel and Akhmerov) was recovered in India from six species of hosts: Etroplus maculatus (Bloch), Gerres setifer (Hamilton), Hyporamphus xanthopterus (Cuvier and Valenciennes), Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet), Valamugil seheli (Forskål), and Chanos chanos (Forskål). |