#sacculina

[chameleocoonj]

🦐🦞🦀Merry Crabmas!🦀🦞🦐

Well... kind of. These aren't crabs but they are crustaceans, parasitic ones! I found a fish louse at my work and I thought it was soooooo cute I had to draw it with some friends. Details under the cut!

Sacculina-- group: barnacles, host: crabs

Cancrion-- group: isopod, host: crabs, larva and adult males pictured

Cymothoa-- group: isopod, host: fish, the "tongue eating louse"

Cyprids-- larval stage of barnacles

Nauplius-- larval stage of many crustaceans

Dendrogaster-- closest group: barnacles, host: seastars

Lernaea-- group: copepods, host: fish, the "anchor worm"

Anelasma-- group: barnacles, host: lantern sharks

Lepeophtheirus-- group: copepods, host: fish

Ommatokoita-- group: copepods, host: greenland sharks

Argulus-- group: fish lice, host: fish

The groups I've labelled these as are pretty broad and a lot more complicated when you get into the details, but rest assured they are all currently types of crustaceans! Anchor worms and Argulus fish lice are the species most people would be most likely to encounter as they are common in the aquarium hobby. The others here are a bit more specialized and mostly marine. I also used some generic barnacles as filler, but it should be noted that not all barnacles are considered parasitic.

I could talk about these guys all day, but I think it might be more fun to go on your own wikipedia journey!! <3

[cwtx0]

I just found out that there is a type of crustasian called Sacculina.

In which Sacculina carcini is a parasitic barnacle that infects crabs, transforming their physiology and behavior to act as a female, even in males.

The parasite sterilizes the crab and hijacks its hormonal system, causing male crabs to develop a wider, female-like abdomen and care for the parasite’s eggs as if they were their own.  Basically the parasite disrupts the crab's hormones. Causing it to lose reproductive ability.

The male's abdomen becomes wider, like female crabs. Its claws also become smaller. Making the crab's body into a female form.

The crab also treats the parasite as if its its own eggs, and helps dispurse the eggs of the parasite with behaviors like female crabs.

Forcefem in nature, hello??

[qadmonster]

From the Sacculina segment of this YT video about marine parasites.

[chocolatechipkraken]

A mermaid based on Sacculina, a parasitic genus of barnacle that parasitizes crabs by wrapping tendrils around its organs and makes it fertilize and lay its eggs.

[revretch]

🦀 time for crab 🦀

it is time for crab on tumblr, but not time for crab in my life. yet.

Tumblr's April Fool's crab post button is really really funny given that my icon is of a rhizocephalan--that is, a parasitic barnacle that grows into a branching lump inside a crab and alters its behavior so it will tend the rhizocephalan's eggs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizocephala

It's always time for crab in my life.

[eightdoctor]

[iravaid]

Here's a bunch of niche Sacculina memes because I've had to write a report on them and it's 1am and i am Tired

[metamelonisle]

there’s a parasite that turns male crabs into femboys