The Tongue Eating Louse

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2011/08/tongue-eating-louse.html

One of the most gross and bizarre beings in the Arthropods species is the tongue eating louse. This is a parasite like no other. This parasite lives in the Gulf of California and has a scientific name of Cymothoa Exigua. What these nasty parasites do is they enter the host fish called the spotted nose snapper through the fins of the fish. Several male will enter and some will become female. The female lice will travel to the fish's mouth where it attaches to the tongue. Once on, the blood supply will be cut off forcing the tongue to fall off. Now what is really strange and messed up about this arthropod is that it will join it self with the remaining muscle of the tongue and become the fish tongue it self. It feeds off blood, mucus and algae that is in the mouth of the host. The other male lice will only stay in the gill chamber for some time where it can either travel to a new host or mate with a female to attach to a new tongue. This Tongue eating louse is the only known parasite which acts act s as an organ of the host. Very Interesting.