A rare tongue-eating parasite has been found off the Jersey coast (not the New Jersey, the Old Jersey).
This parasite buries into a fishes mouth, then eats its tongue and replaces it with itself. Sounds like a lovely experience.
Marine researcher Paul Chambers, who was on the boat when it was found, describes the parasite:
Really quite large, really quite hideous – if you turn it over its got dozens of these really sharp, nasty claws underneath and I thought ‘that’s a bit of a nasty beast’.
Apparently there’s not too much ill effect to the fish itself except it’s lost its tongue.
Not much ill effect… except losing its tongue. Good one, Mr. Chambers.
These sorts of creatures make sense through the mechanism of evolution, but not through intelligent design. When the Bible said that “the attributes of God can be clearly seen through nature,” you have to wonder what those attributes would be when you ponder a tongue-eating parasite.
Thankfully, these sorts of things are not a theological puzzle — they’re just cool new scientific discoveries.
(via)
These sorts of creatures make sense through the mechanism of evolution, but not through intelligent design
NOTHING makes sense through intelligent desing.
You see something horrible and nasty, I see a beautiful symbiosis. As far as we can tell, the fish isn’t in pain, and if was using it’s tongue for anything, the isopod appears to replace it adequately. Not that I’m defending design – and I agree, if it did happen it’d say something pretty damning about the nature of the designer (Ai! Fthagn!) – just I don’t think it’s so horrible just ‘cos we’re attached to our tongues.
Bot flies on the other hand, now they’re just nasty.
So if a beetle ate your tounge and replaced it with itself, would you still say it was a beautiful symbiosis?
(Of course not, because you couldn’t say beautiful symbiosis without a tongue. Ba-dum-chh!)
Boodibul Dymbiosif
WIN!
No, but that’s (I believe) because I have a great deal more psychological attachment to my tongue than a fish does. Given I use it to communicate, not just move food around, I couldn’t easily replace it with a beetle. I also have a brain that allows me to be more distressed at the concept of having something animated living in my mouth. I’m not saying that fish don’t suffer or feel pain, but until I see some demonstration that a fish with an isopod in it’s mouth is in the fish equivalent of emotional distress, I’ll keep thinking it’s not so terrible.
I also should slap myself for calling it a symbiosis. Even if the fish isn’t being harmed, it’s hardly getting much back from their relationship. It is a very neat example of parasitism though.
I came back, however, to mention how odd it was that my objection to bot flies was answered barely a few hours later by Jerry Coyne posting a sympathetic entry about them. Good thing I know correlation doesn’t imply causation, or I’d think some arthropod-obsessed deity was trying to tell me something.
Having denounced the emotional abilities of the fish, I then come across this: Scientists find area responsible for emotion in dead fish.
(Obviously that’s not the point – it’s highlighting the problems with such fMRI studies using a dead fish as an example of something which definitely doesn’t have a perception of emotion, even if live ones might – but it amused me that it popped up a few hours after my post here. The interwebs delight in torturing me…)
Emotions (sentience) exists in most animals on a continuum. For example, fear is very useful for survival, so you’ll find it in most animals.
You probably have a lot of animated li ving parasites in your mouth. And in your skin. Intestins… Not so big, though.
As far as we can tell, the fish isn’t in pain, and if was using it’s tongue for anything, the isopod appears to replace it adequately
That was my first thought … I always thought fish didn’t feel that type of pain in their mouth areas.
Is that incorrect?
Creepy as all get out, just the same.
I always thought fish didn’t feel that type of pain in their mouth areas.
My parents told me that when I was a kid, after I pointed out that putting a hook through a creatures mouth sounded painful. As I’ve grown up, I’ve assumed they were just telling me that to make me feel better. The notion seems pretty widespread, though.
But after I’ve done a simple Google search on it, I’m seeing a lot of scientific research that suggests that fish feel pain just like we do. Their mouths do have nerve endings.
So…..Is there any indication that the parasite doesn’t gobble up all the food for itself, thus, starving the fish? Hmm? If it were doing that, then that’s not symbiosis. There’s got to be mutual benefit….
Eww and cool. Mostly ew.
@confused: For a perspective on the whole parasite/symbiosis thing, check out this Radio Lab episode. http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/09/07/parasites/
One of the scientists makes some good points about parasites, but I still don’t want ticks on me.
Also, I have a friend who went to Belieze years ago. I jokingly asked her if she got a bot fly. To my shock she answered yes. On her inner thigh and didn’t notice it until she got back to the states!
ever seen the picture of the one that got all the way inside its victim’s cranium?
Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne and his botfly larva
Wonder how that fits in with Kosher foods…
*shudder*
Alright, folks, we all need to submit long posts to Daniel, so we can fill up the blog and get that … thing off the front page.
I remember learning about these in The Blue Planet, the awesome BBC documentary series about the world’s oceans and their inhabitants. If anyone hasn’t seen it yet, it’s a must-watch. There are so many strange, wonderful and bizarre creatures living on Earth.
The Blue Planet … pah the result of socialised TV!
What’s with the human looking teeth!? Ew! At first it looked like Alien with that freaky thing in it’s mouth.
On the behalf of my Parasitophobia I thank you.
Sunny however thinks you should be set on fire.
Monty python had a great song called All things dull and ugly (using the tune of the hymn all things bright and beautiful). Its amazing how creationists keep going about eagles and tigers but you never hear them using the equally amazing flash eating bacteria or tape worm as example for design.
and they all work perfectly… they must have been designed!
Is it just me, or does it look like the parasite is smiling?
“Helloooo!”
What’s the 2nd pic, is that a profile of the same fish??
Different fish.
What’s up with that one? Just a random abnormality?
That one looks like it had a close meeting with the Joker…
I’m guessing they cut the side off it’s mouth so they could show you what it looks on the inside, from the side.
Hello my baby! Hello my darling! Hello my rag time gal!
Now I’m itching!
Your blog is making me itch!
aaaahhhhh get out of my skin parasite!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: That is a god I would worship without hesitation.
So how can we drop these into the water coolers at FOX news?
Then again, parasites might not go for FOX commentators. Professional courtesy and all …
aaaahahahaha!
“the attributes of God can be clearly seen through nature,”
Poor fish.
What about the human mouth? First gOd filled our mouths with teeth so we can chew and properly digest our food. That’s a good thing. Then he loaded our mouths up with bacteria that like to eat the same foods as us. Gross, but still not all that bad. But, apparently, gOd wasn’t finished bestowing his blessing on us. He decided, as a byproduct, those bacteria should release a tooth dissolving acid. Was he then finished? No! He, in his infinite wisdom, then put nerves down the center of each and everyone of those teeth… you see where I’m going.
Don’t get me started on gingivitis.
““the attributes of God can be clearly seen through nature,”
Well, I admit the first thing I said when I saw the picture was, “Jesus Christ!”
I came here loving the post title and thinking to myself, “wouldn’t it be great if such a thing made its way into Rush Limbaugh’s or even Pat Robertson’s mouth” but now I’m just sickened.
Even tongue eating parasites have standards.
Reminds me of “Alien.”
YUCK!!!
Having gone fishing a few times, I’ve had no trouble seeing what happens when a fish gets hooked. It certainly doesn’t look comfortable.
I can imagine God and Satan having a discussion about human pain.
Satan: I’m going to enjoy burning humans in Hell forever! Thanks for that, God.
God: “Oh, I was just throwin’ you a bone, something to help light your eternal darkness. It’s not as if humans can actually feel pain, as you and I do, Satan, or as we could it, if we so chose. Trust me, those humans won’t really mind being turned into torches.”
He looks like a cross between a turtle and a sand crab
It isn’t really a big deal for the fish. Once the isopod’s fully grown in, it works like a fish tongue.
That parasite must have the most boring life in the world. Seriously.
It gets to travel places ….
How do they reproduce themselves? Fish french kiss?
Umm… Creation vs evolution aside, what’s with the human looking teeth in the bottom of the jaw? Looks like photoshop to me, though I am viewing on mobile.
Hi
I would like to know where you downloaded that photo from and where you got the information as it is my photo and definately not from Jersey! I would just like to correct the misinformation you have been given please.
Thanks
Kerry
I think I did a google image search and it came up. I’m showing the creature, not the location. Cool image BTW! You should tell the story behind it.
Somehow someone has got hold of this pic and it has just spread over the net like wild fire so Im just trying to get the correct info out there seeing as it is now popular news=) It is a tongue-replacement isopod from the Family Cymothoidae. This particular photo and isopod is from South Africa in the mouth of the blacktail sea bream. A lot of people think that killing the isopod will help the fish but as it destroys the fish’s tongue the fish cannot feed properly without the isopod. The isopod will also die within a couple of hours of being released from its host and cannot be transferred to another host. That help?
This is almost as disturbing as that fungus that makes ants and other bugs go crazy and then kills them and grows out of their brains and spreads. Actually, this might top that.