Cymothoa exigua, a small marine crustacean, enters fish through the gills, eats the tongue from the...
SCIENCE
June 03, 2026
A tongue-eating louse called Cymothoa exigua swims into a fish's gills, latches onto its tongue, drinks the blood until the tongue withers and falls off, and then spends the rest of its life acting as a functional replacement tongue the fish uses normally to eat.
Cymothoa exigua, a small marine crustacean, enters fish through the gills, eats the tongue from the inside out, and then takes its place.
Cymothoa exigua, a small marine crustacean, enters fish through the gills, eats the tongue from the inside out, and then takes its place.
Author: Space Daily
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