VERY strange isopod(?)

[Galapoheros]

Tongue replacement isopod...? What a moocher!

http://www.uj.ac.za/zoology/images/gallery/!Tongue replacement isopod.jpg

 

[bugmankeith]

Know whats even stranger, that fish's teeth look like a humans!

 

[Galapoheros]

Yea I noticed that too. Don't Parrot fish teeth kind of look like that? Pretty weird.

 

[KyuZo]

the first thought that came into my mind was "this look kinda fake"
like one of those alien movies.

 

[the_frog_kid]

thats a parrot fish
they have those teeth because they eat coral
that is a mole crap
also called a sand flea i beilive
i cought tons in oragon and cali a few summers back
you just gotta dig with your hands in the sand
after about 2 feet you will find them
hard work since the stupid sand keeps falling into the hole lol




thanx froggy

 

[bugmankeith]

It does sort of look like a mole crab, but the one in the pic looks alot bigger than ones I find around here. Also, I thought mole crabs eat food particles in the sand, and arent parasites like the one in the pic.

 

[lucanidae]

It is not a mole crab, not even closely related. It is a tongue eating louse aka tongue replacement isopod. It goes into a fish via the gills, feeds off of the tongue and blood and functions as the fish's tongue. Here is an article about one recently found: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4205538.stm

 

[the_frog_kid]

huh i never knew
thats just what i thought it was
i stand corrected!




thanx froggy

 

[cacoseraph]

i know i shouldn't judge the animal world and all...

but jeezy peezy, that is horrible! maybe i am just sensitive to having my living tongue devoured and replaced by a bug =P