# Ihhh ea'eeing yyy unnngh! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828 "2009-10-23T04:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/1 "2009-10-23T04:42:01Z")
[It’s eating my tongue!](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/tongue-eating-parasite-discovered.php): > [@](#): > > The sea-dwelling parasite attacks fish, burrows into it, and then devours its tongue. After eating the tongue, the parasite proceeds to live inside the fish’s mouth. Well, OK, not my tongue. I’m not a fish, and I’m not anywhere near Jersey, in the UK. If I were, however, I’d be pretty damned pissed. [You have to love Paul Chambers, though, who is a member of the Société Jersiaise and was on the team who found it](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/jersey/8246001.stm): > [@](#): > > “Really quite large, really quite hideous - if you turn it over its got dozens of these really sharp, nasty claws underneath and I thought ‘that’s a bit of a nasty beast’.” Even though his name’s Paul, there are those who call him… Tim. Also from Mr. Chambers: > [@](#): > > “Apparently there’s not too much ill effect to the fish itself except it’s lost its tongue.” “Say, isopod got your tongue, chap? Oh well, worse things happen at sea, you know. Keep calm and carry on.” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/2 "2009-10-23T10:39:58Z")
/me makes note NOT to go swimming in Jersey ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/3 "2009-10-23T10:52:15Z")
That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. Eeeeuuuuuuuurgh!!! ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/4 "2009-10-23T14:23:56Z")
It looks quite pleased with itself in the first picture from the treehugger link. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/5 "2009-10-23T14:29:36Z")
Hoy sit ats goss! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/6 "2009-10-23T14:47:35Z")
I’ve seen that before, and it’s definitely freaky. However, since it doesn’t attack humans that way, it does’t really frighten me. Now, if a [giant isopod](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_isopod) cornered me in a dark alley, it would be brown trousers time. Ditto for the [coconut crab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_crab). Those bastards can _climb_. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/7 "2009-10-23T18:08:02Z")
A giant isopod would freak me out, but if I saw a coconut crab I’d be thinking of drawn butter. Giant isopods… urrrgh… pillbugs shouldn’t get that big! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/8 "2009-10-23T18:16:01Z")
“There have been reports in the literature of specimens measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) across the thorax and weighing 30 pounds (14 kg).” 6 feet _across_ the thorax. I want one as a pet (until I get hungry). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/9 "2009-10-23T19:10:29Z")
A picture of an isopod-tongue has been in my repertoire of “have you seen this shit?” links for awhile now. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/10 "2009-10-23T21:59:53Z")
Hey, I’ve just noticed that the fish in the [picture from the treehugger site](http://www.treehugger.com/tongue-eating-parasite.jpg) seems to have very human-like top teeth, albeit in a kind of metallic beige color. Have they been photoshopped in? What kind of fish is that? Are there any fish with teeth like that? ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ihhh-eaeeing-yyy-unnngh/514828/11 "2009-10-24T00:04:48Z")
Pfft. You’re in the UK, aren’t you? Take a copy of the photo to your local fish ‘n’ chip shop; they should know. I’m so sorry; I had to say that. 😉 But I’ve just sent an email to the Cherry place to which the photo is credited. Let’s see if they deign to respond.