Smooth tongue-eating louse [Cymothoa borbonica]
Description
Cymothoa borbonica, also known as the smooth tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod distributed in the Indian Ocean. Similar to Cymothoa exigua, the female of this species attaches to the tongue of the fish where she feeds and grows, eventually replacing the fish's tongue. This species is distinguished by its smoother body texture.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Arthropods
Arthropoda
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Crustaceans
Malacostraca
|
| Order |
Isopods
Isopoda
|
| Family |
Cymothoidae
Cymothoidae
|
| Genus |
Cymothoa
Cymothoa
|