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Parasitic isopods, particularly those within the family Cymothoidae, represent a remarkable example of host‐parasite coevolution in marine environments. These crustaceans attach to or embed ...
This is the biggest longnose log fish I’ve ever caught and kept alive and as if that wasn’t cool enough, it came with something extra: parasitic isopods hitching a ride! This fish was wild to watch up ...
Transcript NICO SMIT: We found a new species of tongue replacement isopod. So these are the isopods that go into the mouth of the fish.
The growing isopod then replaces the tongue in the fish's mouth. But this process doesn't kill the fish, which can coexist with these parasites for years.
Some fish harbored massive parasite loads. Bluegill carried anywhere from 3 to over 5,000 individual parasites, while largemouth bass had 18 to 185 parasites each.
The second parasite, C. formosanus, was found at two of the five locations, where it occurred in 91% of the fish. San Vicente Reservoir, north of Lakeside in San Diego County.
So these are the isopods that go into the mouth of the fish. They can sit on the tongue, then they destroy the tongue of the fish, and then they function as the fish’s tongue.
CHAKRABARTI: I have to say my first response when seeing a photograph of this parasite was, Wow. Because it looks just like the fish’s tongue, but with some eyes staring out of his mouth. Now ...