Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating louse, is a parasitic isopod of the family Cymothoidae. It enters fish through the gills. The female attaches to the tongue, while the male attaches to the gill arches beneath and behind the female. Females are 8–29 mm (0.3–1.1 in) long and 4–14 mm (0.16–0.55 in) wide. Males are about 7.5–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) wide. The parasite severs the blood vessels in the fish’s tongue, causing the tongue to fall off. It then attaches itself to the remaining stub of tongue and the parasite itself effectively serves as the…
Author: tipdive
Carcharocles megalodon (Agassiz, 1843) is the best-known-to-the-public shark, thanks to its gigantic serrated teeth and fantastic jaw recreations that appear in museums around the world. With a mouth over 6 1/2′ wide, laden with over 250 gigantic teeth (the largest known is over 7″ tall!) in 5 rows, this shark is deserving of its limelight! In paleontologic circles, there is some debate on which genus the teeth of Megalodon should be ascribed to. The similarity of their giant teeth to those of the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) led researchers to ascribe Megalodon to the genus Carcharodon. (The giant teeth…
Watermelon, the most awaited fruit in summer, is traditionally known for its round and hefty shape. However, in Japan, there’s an intriguing innovation that transforms the appearance of watermelons into a square. How is this possible? The Origin of the Square Watermelon InnovationThe idea of growing watermelons in square boxes originated from the need for efficiency and convenience in logistics. Japanese farmers devised this new method to make watermelons not only delicious but also practical in terms of storage and transportation. In practice, farmers cultivate watermelons in specific square containers that shape the fruit into a square form. This process…
Belize’s Great Blue Hole is one of the country’s most famous attractions and is, without a doubt, one of the top diving sites in the world. Surrounded by the Lighthouse Reef atoll, the Great Blue Hole is a natural sinkhole that measures roughly 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. Seen from space, the center of the hole is a deep navy blue that stands out in a sea of aquamarine waters and white-sand beaches. The Great Blue Hole is believed to be the world’s largest feature of its kind and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System,…
Wildlife photography connects people to the systems of nature that exist outside of our human-centred world. It’s an essential tool to inspire the desire to protect wildlife and spark important change. A fox pictured in South London, after its family took up residence in a local cemetery. Photograph by Lewis James Newman A fox family took up residence in a local cemetery, and I got to know its routines. Spring was approaching, and the local council let the wild flowers grow. I could see the dandelions starting to grow and the vixen would choose a particular spot right in the…
One of the strangest mysteries of archaeology concerns the mysterious stone spheres found in various places on the planet. One of these places, in terms of numerical importance of the spheres, is Costa Rica , and more precisely in the area of the Diquís delta and on Caño Island . In this region, since 1930 , over 300 mysterious petrospheres , stone spheres called “Las Bolas”, have been found, ranging in size and diameter from a few centimetres to over two metres . Some weigh 16 tons . Almost all are made of granodiorite, a very hard igneous stone made…
Did you know that Hell’s Gate is a natural gas crater located in Derweze, Turkmenistan, and has been burning non-stop since 1971? This amazing phenomenon originated when Soviet engineers accidentally drilled an underground cave filled with gas. The ground collapsed, forming a huge hole about 70 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. To prevent the release of methane gas, scientists decided to set it on fire, thinking it would go out in a few days. However, the fire has continued to burn for more than 50 years. This site has become a tourist attraction due to its impressive and…