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Flying fish, with a Parasitic Growth on its Back, 1858. Creator: Unknown
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Flying fish, with a Parasitic Growth on its Back, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Flying fish, with a Parasitic Growth on its Back, 1858. "The flying-fish of which I send you a Sketch flew into the mizen-chains of Messrs Green's East Indiaman Monarch, while on her homeward voyage from Calcutta...On the back of the fish, to the right of the spine, and between the elongated pectoral fins, or wings, a singular looking growth protruded...this singular appendage consists of two distinct parts - 1st, the horny-looking stem which was attached to the fish. This is an animal belonging to the class Crustacea, family Lernaeidae, and bearing the name of Penellus Blainvillii. The part which was inserted into the muscles of the fish is the head, and its attachment is secured by those three rootlike processes or horns. The body is simple and cylindrical, and terminated by the tuft of filiform appendages. The animals of this family are all when young free, and swim by means of articulated limbs, but they soon fix themselves by their head to the external surface of some animal that lives in the water, as the skins, gills, or eyes of fish, lobsters, &c. and then pass the remainder of their lives as true external parasites, sucking the juices of the unfortunate creature to which they have attached themselves'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858
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Media ID 36375756
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Aquatic Life Exocoetidae Fish Fishes Flying Fish Growth Parasite Parasitic
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This image from 1858 depicts a flying fish with an unusual growth on its back. The flying fish, which had flown into the mizen-chains of the East Indiaman Monarch during its homeward voyage from Calcutta, exhibits a peculiar appendage on its right side, between the elongated pectoral fins or wings. This intriguing growth, later identified as a parasitic crustacean, was described in detail in an article published in the Illustrated London News in 1858. The parasitic growth consists of two distinct parts. The first is a horny-looking stem, which was attached to the fish. This is an animal belonging to the class Crustacea, family Lernaeidae, and is scientifically named Penellus Blainvillii. The second part of the growth is the head, which was inserted into the muscles of the fish. The attachment is secured by three root-like processes or horns. The body of the parasite is simple and cylindrical, terminating in a tuft of filiform appendages. The young of this crustacean family are free-swimming and use articulated limbs to move through the water. However, they soon attach themselves to the external surface of another creature, such as the skin, gills, or eyes of fish or lobsters, and live the remainder of their lives as true external parasites. They suck the juices of their unfortunate hosts to sustain themselves. This fascinating discovery was an important contribution to the scientific understanding of marine parasites and the complex relationships between different species in the ocean ecosystem.
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