Guybrush

Heya!

I thought I'd do something about the lack of biology related threads on MB and tried to think of something that would have common appeal. Most people have a gross fascination with parasites, so why not make a thread about those? Thus, I present to you my parasite thread! Feel free to mention or post about your favourite parasites! I'm not an expert, but since I'm a graduate biology student, I should be able to answer some questions should you have them.

Here's comes the first one :








Let's start out nice and easy. Cymothoa exigua is an isopod which means it's a relative of the common terrestrial woodlice. By far, most isopods live in water where they've adapted to different ways of feeding and some have become parasitic. This one removes it's host's tongue, then it attaches itself where the tongue used to be and steals a bit of whatever it is the host tries to eat. The fish host is essentially helpless as the isopod eats it's tongue and makes a living for himself in it's mouth ..

Neat, huh?

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Freebase Dali

Now we know where the queen alien bit her style.

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Janszoon

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Freebase Dali

^ lol. Classic.

Poor Tore. We're making a mockery of his thread.
Lemme go find a disgusting parasite picture that can top the Paris Hilton one.

Heh.. found one.
I'm not posting it.

*goes vomit*

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right-track

The scouser.
Worse parasite known to mankind.
Capable of bleeding a national economy dry, via excessive claims of state benefit.

Guybrush

Oh har har, very funny :p Despite your feeble attempts at derailing this thread, I'll steer it back on track!

Since I started out with a fish parasite, I'll do another fish pest.



Oh Darwin, what's happened to these fish? Why, they have fallen victims to malevolent lampreys! Lampreys are jawless and relatively "primitive" fish that are much closer related to hagfish than they are to cod and salmon. Some of them are parasitic and use their funnel like mouth full of sharp little teeth to latch onto their prey. Then they bore a hole into their victims with their sharp, jagged tongues and live off their bodily fluids.







Some of the sea lamprey species reportedly get very large and are even rumoured to attack swimmers.





Once a month, they crawl up on beaches and howl at the moon. Or - at least it would be cool if they did. Watch out the next time you go for a swim in the sea, a lake or a river!

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right-track

Not exactly parasites Tore?...

LoathsomePete

Wow, those ones remind me of this happy lil fella

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Dr_Rez

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CAPTAIN CAVEMAN

here's an idea... **** off with the lame jokes. this is a quality thread - way better than ______'s top 100 albums.

lookin forward to the next one.