Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study Them?

Re:Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study... by mc_maurer on Thursday August 01, 2024 @11:22AM (#41130109)

Ok one more, I can't help myself.

This one isn't really a manipulative parasite, but there is an isopod that will eat a fish's tongue: https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2022/04/28/tongue-eating-l...

What's weird is that it then... basically acts like a tongue? It doesn't seem to be massively detrimental to its host, but it's absolutely insane to see a fish's mouth open and then there's just like, a little guy hanging out in there.

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Re:Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study... by gattr on Thursday August 01, 2024 @11:32AM (#41130257)

Sounds familiar! In the The Laundry Files book series by Charles Stross (strongly recommended) there was a cult leader controlled by a demonic being - an unpleasant looking, segmented worm in place of his schlong. IIRC, it would detach during "initiation" of female acolytes to possess them in turn.

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Re:Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study... by kome on Thursday August 01, 2024 @01:37PM (#41131517)

crazy, and terrible!!!

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Re:Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study... by burnished on Thursday August 01, 2024 @02:23PM (#41131988)

Jesus fuck. I knew about these guys but did not know they perform this by hanging out in fish gills until they get a breeding pair, them one crawls from the gills to the tongue to clamp on and replace the damned thing, and later they reproduce and spread young from the gills!

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