ID the Reef Hitchhiker
02 Oct, 2015
There is a marine hitchhiker in this reef scene waiting to be identified. Image by Denise Nielsen Tackett.
It came out of the archives as CORAL editors are working on the upcoming magazine issue about Reef Hitchhikers, and it was found among a batch of images of life forms whose identification had previous stumped even some veteran marine aquarists.
The first five readers to correctly identify the invasive animal hidden in this image will win a free REEF LIFE 2016 Wall Calendar.
Just leave your answer (scientific name and/or common name), your name, and email address in the COMMENTS box below.
Credits
Image by the late Denise Nielsen Tackett. Courtesy Microcosm, Ltd. and Tackett & Tackett Productions.
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About the author
Reef To Rainforest
Reef to Rainforest Media, LLC is the publisher of award-winning magazines and books in the fields of aquarium keeping, aquatics, and marine science. It is the English-language publisher of CORAL Magazine and is based in Shelburne, Vermont, USA.
16 Comments
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October 02, 2015
The reef hitch hiker is a isopod it eats the tounge then ides the fish as a host
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October 02, 2015
Cymothoa exigua.
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October 02, 2015
the tongue-eating louse or Cymothoa exigua. that is what i think it is!
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October 02, 2015
Yeah its an isopod or Cymothoa exigua
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October 02, 2015
Cymothoa exigua, tongue eating louse
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October 02, 2015
Cymothoa Exigua !!
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October 02, 2015
Dang these guys are quick. Cymothoa Exigua
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October 02, 2015
Isopod in the mouth. Poor fish.
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October 02, 2015
Cymothoa Exigua… known as a tongue eating louse
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October 02, 2015
Isopod in fishes mouth
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October 02, 2015
Grrrrrrr, I’m too slow. Tongue eating louse, Cymothoa exigua
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October 03, 2015
Cymothoa exigua, I know I missed it but here’s to my one new thing learned today.
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October 03, 2015Editor’s Note
Nice work everyone. When we first got this image almost 10 years ago from one of our favorite underwater photographers, the late Denise Nielsen Tackett, neither she nor anyone in our offices knew what we looking at, except that it had two little black eyes.
It is, indeed, Cymothoa exigua, the Tongue-eating Isopod or Tongue-eating Fish Louse. Wikipedia has quite a good description here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymothoa_exigua
Everyone who got it right up to this post will get a free copy of the 2016 REEF LIFE Calendar, which features other images by Denise Tackett and her dive partner Larry Tackett.
Thanks to all who posted answers.
James
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October 03, 2015
Cymothoa exigua what a great pic!
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October 03, 2015
cymathoid isopod parasite (Cymothoa c.f exigua
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October 05, 2015
Cymothoa exigua
