Atlantic tongue-eating louse [Cymothoa oestrum]
Description
Cymothoa oestrum, or the Atlantic tongue-eating louse, is a species of parasitic isopod found in the Atlantic Ocean. Both males and females initially reside in the gill chamber of the fish host. However, the female moves to the tongue of the fish, causing it to atrophy and eventually replacing it. Unlike other species in its genus, Cymothoa oestrum is known to parasitize a wide range of fish hosts.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Arthropods
Arthropoda
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Crustaceans
Malacostraca
|
| Order |
Isopods
Isopoda
|
| Family |
Cymothoidae
Cymothoidae
|
| Genus |
Cymothoa
Cymothoa
|