Website review: Anglingmasters.com/10-bizarre-behav...
liamvictor discovered this in Biology
•13 reviews since Jan 18, 2008
biology
•anglingmasters.com/10-bizarre-behaviors-of-pa...
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Reviews of this website
liamvictor discovered 6 months ago- The lancet fluke finds its way into snails while they are feeding on cow feces. The fluke remains in the snail until it matures into a tad-pole like creature, which is literally coughed out by the snail in a coating of thick mucus. This mucus is considered a delicacy for ants but after feeding on the infested mucus they become the new hosts. Once infected the ants leave their colony every night to attach themselves bottom side up to a tall blade of grass with their clamping mandibles. It waits in this manner until it is finally eaten by a cow. Once the ant has been ingested the parasite breaks out and swims through the digestive tract until it reaches its new home, the bile duct. From here new eggs are released and allowed to exit through the digestive tract inside the feces, which will then be eaten by snails to continue the cycle. Now *that* is a life plan.
- Funkmastuh rated 2 months ago
- Kind of creepy, but interesting.
- vineetcoolguy rated 5 months ago
- Some very unique parasites. Highly recommended.
- Temik rated 5 months ago
- It's amazing what evolution comes up with!
- Stahldorn rated 6 months ago
- wow this is creepy stuff! but interesting...
- javamanjoe rated 6 months ago
- This is very strange.
- Hambargarz rated 6 months ago
- From the page: " This parasitic crustacean feasts on the blood of the spotted rose snapper fish by attaching to its tongue. After several days the tongue atrophies and falls off. Instead of leaving the poor fishy tongue-less the parasite attaches itself to the muscular base of the tongue and serves as a replacement. Since the fish can use the parasite as it would an actual tongue the only negative effect for the fish is a small loss of food, which is eaten by the parasite. C. exigua is the only known parasite that functionally replaces a host's organ. Although this parasite is usually found off the coast of California it was recently found in the United Kingdom, most likely indicating that its range is expanding. " No. Way.
- sleeplessinKL rated 6 months ago
- Gross but very informative.
- WateryFate rated 6 months ago
- Absolutely amazing.. It's scary how some of these parasites work.. Imagine a modified one working on humans!!!
- KaylinQ rated 6 months ago
From the page: "
Replacing Fish Tongues and Other Bizarre Behaviors of Parasites
Replaces fish tongues- Cymothoa exigua
This parasitic crustacean feasts on the blood of the spotted rose snapper fish by attaching to its tongue. After several days the tongue atrophies and falls off. Instead of leaving the poor fishy tongue-less the parasite attaches itself to the muscular base of the tongue and serves as a replacement. Since the fish can use the parasite as it would an actual tongue the only negative effect for the fish is a small loss of food, which is eaten by the parasite. C. exigua is the only known parasite that functionally replaces a host's organ. Although this parasite is usually found off the coast of California it was recently found in the United Kingdom, most likely indicating that its range is expanding. "
Enslaves crabs- Sacculina
The genus Sacculina made up of parasitic barnacles which attack crabs.
Female parasites enter crab armor by molting and injecting their soft
body through an open joint. Once inside her new home she starts to grow
root like appendages that extend into every part of the crabs body,
even wrapping around its eyestalks. If the crab is male the parasite
will change its body form to more closely resemble that of a female's
so that the parasite can more comfortably house her family. When
everything is ready the female parasite squeezes a sack out of the
underside of the crab so that the male can join her permanently. They
will mate and allow their eggs to mature inside the crab, which is now
completely possessed and devotes all of its energy to caring for the
parasite family.
- toalber rated 6 months ago
- wow... some pics sooo scary.. uhhh. but useful information.
