Creepy Tongue-Eating Parasite Found In A Texas State Park

A very creepy crawler was found recently at a Texas State Park, reported My San Antonio. Officials at Galveston Island State Park posted a photo of a an Atlantic croaker's tongue. Or rather, the lack of tongue. In the photo, a tongue-eating louse or "snapper-choking isopod" was gnawing away at the fish's tongue.

The Facebook post from the Texas state park says:

"MARTIAN SPOTTED AT GALVESTON ISLAND STATE PARK

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."

The parasite does not kill the fish that it uses, nor does it affect humans in any way.

According to Coastal Fisheries Science Director Mark Fisher, the parasites are pretty common in certain species, such as the Atlantic croaker, spotted seatrout, and some species of snapper.

The isopods are actually closely-related to the pill bugs, which are also known as rolly-polies.