Cymothoa exigua, commonly known as the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae found throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As an ectoparasite it lives on the outside of its host, and adults grow up to an inch in length, among the largest isopods recorded. All individuals are born male before switching to female later in life, a form of hermaphroditism that generally leaves females larger than males.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Scientific Name Conservation Status Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Tongue-eating Louse
In Biome
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Cymothoa exigua
2. GBIF Species API
3. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Animalia
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Animals","language":"EN"},{"name":"Fauna","language":"EN"},{"name":"Animaux","language":"FR"}],"cites_listings":[]
4. GBIF (IUCN Red List category): GBIF IUCN Red List category for Cymothoa exigua
GBIF (IUCN Red List category)GBIF taxon key 2210260, category fieldQuote, GBIF taxon key 2210260, category field
"category": "NOT_EVALUATED"
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Wikidata: Tongue-eating Louse
- Wikidata Q18873, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Malacostraca, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the SourceCymothoa exigua (Wikipedia)
In Biome: Marine, Article text: "exigua prefer to inhabit shallow seas, where the"Quote, In Biome: Marine, Article text: "exigua prefer to inhabit shallow seas, where the"
exigua prefer to inhabit shallow seas, where there is an abundance of potential hosts.
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