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Talk6 min

Is this the grossest parasite?

Niko Zlotnik · TED

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About

The infamous tongue-eating louse is one of nearly 400 species belonging to a family of fish parasites. Some latch onto their host’s head, others suck blood from fish gills, and others still burrow into fish flesh. But the Cymothoa exigua goes specifically for fish tongues. How do these parasites do it, and why? Niko Zlotnik explores the strategies tongue biters use to find a fish to call home. [Directed by Flaka Kokolli, Flammorum Animation Studio, narrated by Adrian Dannatt, music by Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio].

The talk

  1. Is this the grossest parasite? 6 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Niko Zlotnik
Year
2025
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Biology, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed