Luckily for us, the parasite, Cymothoa exigua, which is a type of crustacean called an isopod, is not interested in human flesh. It lives in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico and Central America, and only infests fish. Beginning life as a swimming form called a manca, a young isopod attaches itself to […]
Tag: parasite
Polar Bears at Higher Risk of Contracting Some Pathogens
As the environment warms, polar bears are more likely to contract several pathogens than they were three decades ago. In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers looked for antibodies for six pathogens in blood samples taken from polar bears in the Chukchi Sea from 1987-1994 and from 2008-2017. They found that five of the […]
A Spectrum Out for Vengeance
A wasp is assaulted by a flower’s wild side, a small detective on the edge of desperation, the only witness to a spectrum out for vengeance. • Braconid wasp