Tongue zombie

[Johnny_L.A]

Cymothoa exigua: tongue zombie

Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it! 'Hiya! ’

From Wiki:

Cymothoa exigua extracts blood through the claws on its front, causing the tongue to atrophy 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. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, some feed on the host’s blood and many others feed on fish mucus. This is the only known case of a parasite functionally replacing a host organ. There are many species of Cymothoa, but only C. exigua is known to consume and replace its host’s tongue.

[WordMan]

Well, I’m sufficiently squicked for the week; thanks!

:eek:

[running_coach]

Tongue got your catfish?

[Hypno-Toad]

It sits in that fishes mouth like it’s on a stage.

“HI! Howyadoin!”

[Capt_Kirk]

Egad man, another nightmare creator.

Capt

[Daithi_Lacha]

Just stopped in to add:

Tongue Parasites

UR WLCM! lulz

[hogarth]

I learned about that on The Colbert Report.

[panache45]

I love that smug, self-satisfied look on its face . . . knowing the fish can’t do a damned thing about it.

[Projammer]

I really don’t want to know how they reproduce.

[running_coach]

@Projammer

I really don’t want to know how they reproduce.

Oral sex.

[AaronX]

I’m thinking we could learn a thing or 2 about prosthetics from this guy.

[MrDibble]

Be sure to check out the movie

[Inigo_Montoya]

One of nature’s more tasteless parasites.

[Annie-Xmas]

@Projammer

I really don’t want to know how they reproduce.

Click here for even more gross information

The strange crustaceans feed on the fish’s tongue, and can even change sex and breed in the fish’s mouth.

[Inigo_Montoya]

There was a party in my mouth last night…everybody came.

[bouv]

You think that parasites bad? Check out cordyceps. It’s a fungus that enters the brains of arthropods (ants are a popular choice,) and modifies their behavior so they crawl to a better location for the fungus, at which point the fungus “finishes the job,” and sprouts from the ant.

[TreacherousCretin]

@runner pat

Tongue got your catfish?

A+

[Leo_Bloom]

@bouv

You think that parasites bad? Check out cordyceps. It’s a fungus that enters the brains of arthropods (ants are a popular choice,) and modifies their behavior so they crawl to a better location for the fungus, at which point the fungus “finishes the job,” and sprouts from the ant.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Holy shit. Now that would be a scary movie, putting the creators of Alien to shame.

It would be wonderful if mood and other mental disorders were found to derive from a parasite. I think. Subject for a different thread.

[Leo_Bloom]

@Johnny_L.A

Cymothoa exigua: tongue zombie

Be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it! 'Hiya! ’

From Wiki:

Great photo, and thanks for the subsequent posts on it.

So what the hell is this host relationship termed? It’s not symbiotic, because I don’t see the fish getting anything more out of it. On the other hand, it’s not losing anything but its previous diet, and the new one is not detrimental.

[Inigo_Montoya]

Well, host no longer has to maintain a healthy tongue. Or worry about a bunch of tongue parasites.