Ahhhhh! Bizarre tongue-eating parasite!

[Revtim]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4200000/newsid_4209000/4209004.stm

"A gross creature which gobbles up a fish’s tongue and then replaces it with its own body has been found in Britain for the first time.

The bug - which has the scientific name cymothoa exigua - was discovered inside the mouth of a red snapper bought from a London fishmonger.

The 3.5cm creature had grabbed onto the fish’s tongue and slowly ate away at it until only a stub was left.

It then latched onto the stub and became the fish’s “replacement tongue”."

THE TONGUE HAS EYES!!!

[Revtim]

@Revtim

THE TONGUE HAS EYES!!!

This is, of course, a little-known sequel to “The Hills Have Eyes”.

[Amazon_Floozy_Goddess]

“Mommy! Billy stuck his cymothoa exigua out at me!!”

[Podkayne]

@Revtim

THE TONGUE HAS EYES!!!

What’s worth, it looks rather . . . smug.

As with everything other fascinating topic, there’s an episode of This American Life epside featuring parasites that talks about the fish-tongue thing. There was also a great article on parasites in the August 2000 Discover Magazine.

[Podkayne]

Aaaand “worth” of course, is how you prounouce “worse” after your tongue has been replaced by a parasite.

[Crowbar_of_Irony_3]

@Linked artciled

But don’t be too freaked out - scientists say the creature does not pose any threat to humans and only attaches itself to fish tongues

Don’t be freaked out? Who cares about that thing on attaching to fish tongues!! What if the fishmonger didn’t realise it? What if I ate it for dinner!!! I don’t need a tongue inside my stomach!

Much panic ensues. Yes, I meant panic

[metj]

But don’t be too freaked out - scientists say the creature does not pose any threat to humans and only attaches itself to fish tongues

Who exactly would volunteer to be the study subject on this?

[AHunter3]

ExtraKun:

Who cares about that thing on attaching to fish tongues!! What if the fishmonger didn’t realise it? What if I ate it for dinner!!! I don’t need a tongue inside my stomach!

a) Since the fish has no tongue, you would not end up with a tongue inside your stomach

b) If you ate it for dinner, something <ahem> else might end up with your tongue inside its stomach

c) But all your subsequent meals would have an Official Taster

[bizzwire]

Thanks, RevTim…I knew something was missing from my life…

Excuse me while I go blow my brains out…

[Seven]

But don’t be too freaked out - scientists say the creature does not pose any threat to humans and only attaches itself to fish tongues.

Tats what thay tink.

Tupid tie-n-tis’.

[Large_Marge]

I didn’t even know fish HAD tongues …

[Seven]

I’d hate to see what happens when the fish tongue eating parasite meets a tonguefish. The poor parasite wouldn’t know where to start.