Parastic Isopods

[Selket]

I came across this and figured I would share:

http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/09/rare-tongue-eating-parasite-found.html

 

[Widowman10]

wow, that's CRAZY!! thanks for sharing. wonder what happens to the fish when the isopod is done devouring the tongue? is it parasitic until death or does it fall out when finished?

 

[mitchnast]

 

[Widowman10]

hahaha, niiice

 

[Anastasia]

Woh, that is disturbing
I wont be eating fish anymore

 

[zonbonzovi]

It's actually rather cute for something that eats tongue.

 

[What]

Not sure where they are getting that it is from the Mediterranean sea but...Cymothoa exigua is from the Gulf of California.

 

[biomarine2000]

That is the strangest thing i've read all day. Thanks for posting.

 

[Selket]

wow, that's CRAZY!! thanks for sharing. wonder what happens to the fish when the isopod is done devouring the tongue? is it parasitic until death or does it fall out when finished?

After reading the wiki article that What posted, it looks as if it stays with the fish until death. It replaces the tongue of the fish, and the fish uses it like a normal tongue.

 

[Widowman10]

After reading the wiki article that What posted, it looks as if it stays with the fish until death. It replaces the tongue of the fish, and the fish uses it like a normal tongue.

must of missed that part. so after it is done devouring the tongue, then what? it just sits there til the fish dies? sorry, just curious about everything.

 

[Lucas339]

there are a lot of isopod parasites. there is one that gets underneath a carapace of a shirmp and stays there and feeds on the shrimp. the shimp then grows a huge lump over the isopod. its strange.

a friend of mine recently had to get one removed from her ear drum after it attached during some sea grass work. it took several hours and the lab techs were freaked out and didn't know what to do.

 

[ArachnidSentinl]

...a friend of mine recently had to get one removed from her ear drum...

Now that is creepy. *scratches ear*

 

[Exo]

I'm gonna have nightmares now, I just know it.