Two Mouths to Feed

Malia sent me this article, which spotlights the tongue-eating sea louse known as cymothoa exigua. What was that, you ask? Yes, I meant what I wrote about tongue-eating, but allow me to be more specific and horrific (sperrific?).

This crustacean parasite latches onto the tongue of the spotted rosesnapper and begins syphening off blood from the fish's tongue. As the parasite grows, the blood supply to the tongue dwindles, so it atrophies, blackens, and dies, leaving only a stump. But that's only half of it. The sea louse then replaces the erstwhile tongue by digging its claws into said stump. Get this - the fish can then manipulate the louse much like its former tongue, only now it has two mouths to feed.

Photos (1 & 2) courtesy: Lund Lab, University of Kentucky