An unreal case of a parasite eating a fish's tongue and then becoming its tongue has come to light at?Galveston Island State Park in the US state of Texas.
The parasite, which the park has referred to as a "Martian," is found in various species of fish. The parasite enters the mouth of the fish and causes the tongue to deteriorate before replacing it completely and living out its life as the fish's organ, USA Today reported.?
A tongue-eating louse was found inside the mouth of an Atlantic Croaker. Officials at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department took a picture of the fish and posted it on Facebook.??
"MARTIAN SPOTTED AS GALVESTON ISLAND PARK," wrote the park in their post. "Ok, so not really, but this is still pretty spooky."
"Inside this Atlantic Croaker's mouth is a parasitic isopod called a tongue-eating louse. This parasite detaches the fish's tongue, attaches itself to the fish's mouth and becomes its tongue. The parasite then feeds on the fish's mucus. It also happens to be the only known case where a parasite functionally replaces a host's organ."
"It does not kill the fish or affect humans," it said.?
The tongue-eating louse attaches itself to the fish¡¯s mouth and then replaces the tongue,?according to the Houston Chronicle.
The parasite then survives in the fish¡¯s mouth by feeding on the host animal¡¯s mucus ¨D the only known example of a parasite replacing an organ of its host.