Teh Unconventionally Ugly Animals Thread

[Combat Ingrid]

From the link in my last post:

Cymothoa exigua is a parasitic crustacean of the family Cymothoidae. This parasite attaches itself at the base of the tongue of the Spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, with the claws on its front three pairs of legs, and extracts blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ atrophies from lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body, by attaching to the muscles of the tongue stub. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the parasite. It appears that the parasite does not cause any other damage to the host fish [1]. Once C. exigua replaces the tongue, it supplements its diet with food particles, thereby relieving strain on the host's circulatory system. This is the only known case of a parasite functionally replacing a host organ.

[b etor]

Re: Teh Unconventionally Ugly Animals Thread

Originally posted by Sandman
Let's start with the horrid, horrid star-nosed mole.

ewwwww i saw a picture of one in the Nov 1992 issue of National Geographic.

[Patroklos]

Cymothoa

Ripley failed

[Heresson]

ouch, this cymothoa is something horrible. But at least it doesn't kill the fish.

[Patroklos]

I want one. I bet it drives the ladies crazy

Take that bloated whale tongue

Anyone else notice a trend with these ugly animals?

[b etor]

that they're all kind of disgusting?

[Patroklos]

Yeah....that one.