Check out this Pennel crustacean parasite removed from an albacore Tuna! Caught in the Canadian Pacific Northwest. 🍣
Posted by DougyRS@reddit | marinebiology | View on Reddit | 15 comments
We pulled an Albacore tuna up off the line and saw this thing dangling out of it. We removed it and I was honestly nauseated by the look of this unit. Simply the weirdest looking creature I’ve ever seen… look at its anchoring, it had a roundish mouth at its end and look at the leaf-like “bush” at the top(this part would have been extended out in the water). I should have taken more photos but we were on a roll and had to keep catching.
This thing has, no doubt, been on a wild ride through the Pacific. Very cool. Very gnarly. This made me redownload Reddit, resulting in me joining this awesome community, I hope all you enjoy and I am excited to learn more.
Stay curious! Yeeew!
1984AD@reddit
All parasites remain the grossest most skeevy brain bugging (no pun intended) things on gods(đź¤) green earth. Tape worms still hold the top spot but those urethra fish are nipping at their heels.
A_Murmuration@reddit
Damn was the black part the half that was internal?
DougyRS@reddit (OP)
If you can see that little red divide… that’s where the parasite was embedded, the T-shape end was in the fish, about 3-4inches deep.
A_Murmuration@reddit
Oh I see so other way around - anchor inside. That’s absolutely wild regardless
Channa_Argus1121@reddit
To further elaborate, Pennella is a type of paraditic copepod crustacean. While many members bore into the flesh of toothed whales and baleen whales, some species are found on ray-finned fish such as albacore, mahi-mahi, or even pufferfish and Pacific saury.
aksnowraven@reddit
Do they move from host to host, or spend their whole lives in one specific organism before spawning the next generation?
Channa_Argus1121@reddit
The latter. Think of them as barnacles that act like botfly maggots.
fawks_harper78@reddit
🤮
aksnowraven@reddit
Thanks!
Cha0tic117@reddit
Commonly called "anchor worms." Very cool (if gross) parasitic copepods. These parasites are classic examples of how parasitic forms can vary substantially from their free-living relatives.
DougyRS@reddit (OP)
Well I must, it was definetly “all fast” to the poor tuna, took some strength pulling out.
Grouchy_Order_7576@reddit
That looks nasty, more like an instrument of torture than a parasite.
DougyRS@reddit (OP)
Right? Blah!
curlyfriezzzzz@reddit
Holy shit that’s insane
DougyRS@reddit (OP)
We couldn’t believe our eyes.