The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

Posted in ANIMALS       9 Sep 2009       48168       14 GALLERY VIEW

Cymothoa exigua or the Tongue eating louse is a parasitic crustacean. It tends to be 3 to 4 cm long. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the spotted rose snapper's tongue, entering the fish's mouth through its gills. It then proceeds to extract blood through the claws on its front three pairs of legs. As the parasite grows, less and less blood reaches the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of the tongue stub. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish.
This is the only known case of a parasite functionally replacing a host organ.

1 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

2 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

3 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

4 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

5 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

6 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

7 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

8 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

9 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

10 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

11 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

12 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

13 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

14 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

15 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)

16 The Tongue Eating Louse is a gross parasite living in a fish’s mouth! (18 pics)


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14   Comments ?
0
1.
nat 14 year s ago
Oh.My.God.

THAT'S DISGUSTING!!
And very disturbing!

Made my skin crawl.
       
Reply
0
2.
Maggot 14 year s ago
Xenomorph.
       
Reply
0
3.
Roxana 14 year s ago
holly sh*t 36
       
Reply
-1
4.
HollyxHero 14 year s ago
Oh my. That's is quite odd... freakin cool at the same time.
       
Reply
0
5.
Mouserz 14 year s ago
woagh, look at them fish teeth on the 6th picture.
       
Reply
0
6.
severe_009 14 year s ago
yeah they have human like teeth n_tongue n_tongue
but thats vomit vomit vomit
and scary
       
Reply
0
7.
Taurien 14 year s ago
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!,
       
Reply
0
8.
Nydardon 14 year s ago
I want to say - thank you for this!,
       
Reply
0
9.
je5u5 13 year s ago
suicide this is cool loking thing
       
Reply
0
10.
je5u5 13 year s ago
n_sm_19 wat up

n_no n_feel JC_OMG_sign this thing is sow pppppp.... ogly n_sm_19 mr47_04 JC_OMG_sign JC_OMG_sign JC_OMG_sign suicide suicide
       
Reply
0
11.
D. Cronenberg 13 year s ago
These photos reminds me of the scene in "Shivers" when you see Lynn Lowry from Paul Hampton's viewpoint as she opens her mouth to kiss him. Not only are these lousy louses disgusting, they're also plagiarists!
       
Reply
0
12.
Weight loss pills 13 year s ago
Well done! Keep it up!
       
Reply
0
13.
Buy cheap software 12 year s ago
hB7sDX Yeah� I read and I understand that I do not understand anything what it is about:D
       
Reply
0
14.
John Jr. 12 year s ago
Why God?...why?
       
Reply
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