A total of 565 dolphin fish (Coryphaena hippurus L.) from western Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Islands) were examined for external parasites. 68 adult fish were caught from May to December and 497 juvenile fish were captured from August to December. Several species of copepod parasites were found in gill mucus masses and operculum inner surface. All of them belong to genre Caligus: C. quadratus, C. coryphaenae, C. productus and C. Lütken (Copepoda, Caligidae) (marine lice). To check differences on Caligus parasitism as a function of fish size, examined fish were differentiated into six size intervals from 18 to 124 cm. Ecologic data as prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance and range were determined for each group. Some epidemiological aspects were, also, analysed. The parasitism seems to be a premunition.

Keywords: Coryphaena hippurus, gill parasitism, parasitic ecology, premunition, western Mediterranean Sea