アメリカ自然史博物館さんのインスタグラム写真 - (アメリカ自然史博物館Instagram)「Louse got your tongue? If you’re a fish, it just might. The tongue-eating louse (Cymothoa exigua) is a parasitic crustacean. As a juvenile, it swims into the gills of fish. Once inside, it latches onto a fish’s tongue, sucking blood until the appendage atrophies or withers away. Then, the louse attaches itself to the stub that’s left behind, functionally replacing the organ. This parasite doesn’t kill its host: In fact, it may even mate with other louses while inside the fish! Photo: Christian Gloor, CC BY 2.0, flickr #didyouknow #amazingnature #wildlife #biodiversity #wildlifephotography」9月13日 22時42分