Tongue-Eating Parasite
Cymothoa exigua is the scientific name for the Tongue-Eating Parasite. These parasites enter through the gills of the fish, offering no chance to the fish to fend them off. Only females will attach themselves to the tongue. They do this by cutting off the blood supply to the tongue until it atrophies and falls off. The parasite then attaches herself to the stump left behind. Besides the disturbing act of severing the fish’s tongue, the parasite causes no other damage to the fish.
Cymothoa Exigua
What A Cool Rock
This rock with the weird carvings is actually a chunk of fossilized tube worms. Pretty gross, right? Maybe people should stop picking up things they find in the wild. Specifically, these are called Calcerous Tubeworms, and they attach themselves to rocks in the ocean. When alive, these creatures are brightly colored, usually orange, red, white, or pink. They can be found in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. It is not uncommon for chunks of these fossilized animals to wash up on shore.
Calerous Tubeworms
