Tongue woodlouse

In nature, there are many animals leading a parasitic lifestyle. Many of them are famous for their unusual lifestyle. An example of this is the woodlouse devouring the tongue - a fairly popular animal that has gained fame for its unique ability to take root on the host's body. She not only feeds on the blood of her victim, but later on completely replaces her affected organ. Such a crustacean does not live in humans, it parasitizes only in the mouth of fish.

Features of cancer language

In nature, there are many species of Cymothoa, but only Cymothoaexigua (in English, tongue-eatinglouse, which means louse devouring the tongue) is able to eat and replace the organ.

The crustacean has become known to the world because of its unique ability to parasitize on the body of the host. Today it is the only creature that can completely replace the organ lost through his own fault. In appearance, it is very similar wood licewhich are got in crude cellars, on attics and in apartments. A distinctive feature of the crustacean is the milky body.

Tongue woodlouse

As its victim, the parasite chooses a pink snapper living off the coast of California. Getting into the fish mouth through the gills, with the help of special claws, a small crustacean instantly attaches to the tongue. At the initial stage of parasitization, the main source of food for the pest is blood drawn from the tongue.

Becoming gradually bloodless, the organ eventually atrophies. However, the fish does not perish; from that moment the “settler” himself begins to play the role of the language. Many will think that in this way the crustacean will absorb all the prey of the host.However, this is far from the case: the wood louse continues to live in the fish without interfering with its feeding. All food consumed by the victim passes by the crustacean. The animal partially drinks the blood of the victim and is content with fish mucus, without causing much damage and discomfort. According to scientists, the snapper uses the services of the parasite, not even knowing about the substitution.

Breeding

Individuals of the female reach a length of 3 cm, male - up to 1.5 cm. Below in the photo you can see how these amazing animals look.

Woodlice reproduce right in the fish's mouth. Periodically, a sexually mature male swims through the gills into the fish's mouth and mates with the female living there. Then on the abdomen of the female in a special pocket eggs are laid, where they are hatched. Appeared toddlers leave the place of birth. They go in search of the victim, in the mouth of which they will spend their lives.

Mokritsa devouring tongue

It is also surprising that while the language woodlouse is growing, it is a male. Penetrating into the mouth of the snapper, she reincarnated into a female.

On a note! The tongues devouring the tongue never change their carriers: once settled in the mouth of a fish, they no longer leave it.The victim does not object to such a "neighborhood", using the parasite as its own language.
Having reached maturity, the crustacean dies, but the atrophied fish tongue does not restore its working capacity. Lucian has only to hope that this place will be taken by another such individual.

Sometimes, the wood louse can settle in the mouth of large fish in pairs. The victim uses them as his tongue, not knowing about the replacement.

Is the language lice dangerous for people?

Cymothoaexigua does not pose a danger to humans, causing only a feeling of disgust and disgust. However, if you try to pull it out of caught fish, the fisherman can bite the finger. Activity animal preserves throughout life. The parasite bite is not strong, but it is still preferable to use any tool for such a procedure. And the look of an unpleasant creature can confuse any angler who happened to catch a fish with a “surprise”.

Until 2005, it was believed that the language woodlouse lived only in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, until such a specimen was found in the UK. According to researchers, the habitat of the crustacean parasite over time began to expand. However, there is no exact data on the location of this creature.It could well get into the country, being inside the snapper itself.