Sorta reef related, but definitely cool and disgusting ;)

[Len]

http://polyscience.org/2005/09/cymothoa-exigua/

 

[Anonymous]

ewwww
*checks tongue*

 

[SnowManSnow]

holy moley

 

[bleedingthought]

Does the louse keep on feeding on the blood of the fish through the artery and eventually kill the fish? Or after it starts feeding on the fish's meals, it stops the bloodsucking and stays in the fish's mouth for a long time? 8O

 

[Meloco14]

Good question. If I remember correctly a true parasite doesn't kill its host, so that would dictate that the louse just feeds off of food the snapper eats. Or maybe it continues to feed off of blood from the tongue stump artery but not enough to kill the fish. Either way its pretty crazy. I wonder where the fish was caught. The article says it comes from California, but those snapper (or pargo) aren't native here, and are only very rarely caught during an El Nino. Also, the description on mexfish.com say it's not commonly found off the Pacific side of Baja either. Must have been from the Sea of Cortez or somewhere further down mainland Mexico.

 

[Anonymous]

Does the louse keep on feeding on the blood of the fish through the artery and eventually kill the fish? Or after it starts feeding on the fish's meals, it stops the bloodsucking and stays in the fish's mouth for a long time? 8O

I have the same questions.

 

[Meloco14]

Btw this is just another example of how weird and gross (and cool) marine animals can be. What are the weirdest things you guys have seen? For me it would either be a chimaera I caught in British Columbia, or catching dozens of slimy hagfish in a shrimp trap. Those were gross.

 

[Duec22]

It's almost like getting fish and lobster at once....

 

[trigger0214]

I had this exact nightmare about my tongue the other night....iiicckckk!!!!

 

[trigger0214]

Oh crap...I just ate snapper last week!

 

[Chubosco]

After seeing that picture I will never french kiss ever again. 8O

 

[Nammy]

I guess the fish gets a little extra food after the louse is done digesting his.
8O

 

[gregb1]

How would that look on the dinner plate? Yum yum.

 

[trigger0214]

Ever seen the sushi bars where they bring you the fish partly alive (after a quick dip in hot oil).

I imagine that thing crwaling out of it's mouth. HEALTH DEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MartinE]

8O Mother nature can be odd.

 

[jandree22]

Fish have tongues?! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

That dithgusthing,,, hey why am I sthpeaking wiff a lisph all a sthudden? 8O

 

[MartinE]

That dithgusthing,,, hey why am I sthpeaking wiff a lisph all a sthudden? 8O

:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Ever seen the sushi bars where they bring you the fish partly alive (after a quick dip in hot oil).

I imagine that thing crwaling out of it's mouth. HEALTH DEPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[george_liquor]

symbiosis at it's best?