Is there a parasite that replaces fish tongue?

Is there a parasite that replaces fish tongue?

The Stuff of Nightmares: Parasite Replaces Fish’s Tongue in Texas Park. Inside this Atlantic Croaker’s mouth is a parasitic isopod called a tongue-eating louse. This parasite detaches the fish’s tongue, attaches itself to the fish’s mouth, and becomes its tongue.

When nightmares are real photo shows a parasite that ate and then replaced a fish’s tongue?

When nightmares are real: Photo shows a parasite that ate – and then replaced – a fish’s tongue. A Texas state park shared a seemingly unreal photo of a fish whose tongue was eaten by a parasite – and then the parasite replaced the organ altogether.

What eats a fish’s tongue?

Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae. It enters fish through the gills and the female attaches to the tongue, with the male attaching on the gill arches beneath and behind the female.

What does Cymothoa exigua do?

In the Gulf of California there exists a critter, Cymothoa exigua, which targets a fish by infiltrating its gills and latching onto its tongue. It proceeds to not only consume the organ, but will then replace it with its own body, leaving the fish with the new fully functioning tongue of its worst nightmares.

Where does the tongue-eating louse come from?

The tongue-eating louse is quite widespread. It can be found from the Gulf of California south to north of the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Two host records were also recently discovered in Costa Rica.

How does the tongue-eating louse affect the fish?

Indeed, this shocking sight is actually the result of a parasitic isopod known as a tongue-eating louse. Once infected, the parasite detaches the fish’s tongue and attaches itself inside the fish’s mouth… becoming its new tongue. To survive, the parasite then feeds on the fish’s mucus, all while not killing the fish.