An (ecto)parasitic #Crustmas. This is Dolops (above), which swims around and attaches to fishes (below), but unlike its relative Argulus, which has suckers, it has hooks to hold on. Also, is bizarrely cute! 🧪🦑 - ThreadSky

jopabinia.bsky.social • 444 days ago

An (ecto)parasitic #Crustmas. This is Dolops (above), which swims around and attaches to fishes (below), but unlike its relative Argulus, which has suckers, it has hooks to hold on. Also, is bizarrely cute!
🧪🦑

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zazzeaux.bsky.social•78 days ago

Looks like a pokemon. Even has a pokemon style name.

jopabinia.bsky.social•78 days ago

It was named in 1837 so perhaps not haha

zazzeaux.bsky.social•78 days ago

OG poke vibes then.

jopabinia.bsky.social•444 days ago

@the-episiarch.bsky.social no doubt you've written about them somewhere

the-episiarch.bsky.social•443 days ago

Argulids have featured on the Parasite of the Day back in its earliest incarnation - but those posts were not written by me https://dailyparasite.blogspot.com/search?q=argulus
I am very much aware of them tho - my PhD surpervisor did his PhD on them

jopabinia.bsky.social•443 days ago

Wild, I didn't realize that anyone but you had posted on that blog...let alone someone I know! (I was at AMNH for a few years)

the-episiarch.bsky.social•443 days ago

Oh yeah, the blog was started by Susan Perkins in 2010 for the UN year of biodiversity, I contributed a few post throughout that year, but at the end of 2010 she wasn't sure what to do with it so I kept it going,

jopabinia.bsky.social•443 days ago

Yeah I didn't know her yet in 2010, so that may be why

the-episiarch.bsky.social•443 days ago

Yeah the mission of the blog has changed over the years - it started out as "Each post features a short paragraph or two post about a species of parasite" to now "Each post is an explainer about a newly published parasite-related paper, with one species acting as the centre piece"

the-episiarch.bsky.social•443 days ago

Susan still contributed a post here and there for a while, but as of ~2013 onward it became pretty much all me, with some student guest posts every now and then

jopabinia.bsky.social•443 days ago

It may not be daily anymore but still a good blog

futurebird.sauropods.win.ap.brid.gy•78 days ago

@jopabinia.bsky.social

So interesting! As far as I know there are no trilobites we've found yet that are parasites. (although we have found parasites on trilobite fossils.)

And yet here is a far far distant creature that echos the form of a trilobite in some ways and it is a parasite.

jopabinia.bsky.social•78 days ago

This guy is quite softer, so if a trilobite in theory became modified as a parasite and took that route, it might be less likely to preserve...

ksepkalab.bsky.social•77 days ago

Definitely the cutest parasite.

jopabinia.bsky.social•77 days ago

Phronima is up there too (especially when you see the little babies around the salp)

Not crusty, but I'd also include Demodex

kernowshark.bsky.social•77 days ago

I had to stop and take a second look, because the shape and colouration makes them look so much like a hillstream loach, just without a tail or gills.

jopabinia.bsky.social•77 days ago

Haha they do. Adapted for hanging onto something in a flowing river, so same reason kinda?

kernowshark.bsky.social•77 days ago

They're both adorable, too. ❤️

jopabinia.bsky.social•77 days ago

Agreed, loaches are my fav @phytoseiid.bsky.social

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