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Tongue Eating Fish Parasite Photos

Our good friend Adam Guy, all the way from the waters of Japan, sent me these amazing photos. We’ve talked about this tongue eating fish parasite before, but these may be some of the best photos to date that I have seen of this particular parasite. Good job Adam!

On Sunday fishing near Yokosuka I caught a fine example of Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) and when I was preparing the fish that evening, it turned out to be harboring a parasite known here in Japan as ‘uonoe’ (Rhexanella verrucosa). Apparently these creatures affix themselves to the tongue and help themselves to whatever the host fish eats. As you can see in the photos I have attached, with their multiple legs like hooks, they seem well adapted to their niche; I had to behead the mackerel to remove the parasite from its tongue. According to the literature here, these parasites are common in red sea bream and yellowtail amberjack (kingfish), but the two examples I have come across personally have both been in horse mackerel. In both cases, the fish appeared outwardly healthy and did not seem emaciated or unwell at all. The parasitic infection did not appear to affect their flesh either, as they were quite delicious.
All the best,
Adam Guy

8 Comments

June 25, 2006 by Jonathon Marshall

Filed Under: Fishing, Food, Japan, News, Oddities, Parasites, Photography, Saltwater, Saltwater Species
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8 Comments on “Tongue Eating Fish Parasite Photos...”

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Alex M. Metcalf
48 months ago #
These are some of the best pictures of this parasite that I have seen.
Thank you for taking and uploading these.
And you’re right the parasite has no negative effect on the fish other than that of removing and replacing the fish’s tongue. The fish can actually use the parasite like it’s original tongue to manipulate food.
If you upload any more pictures of this parasite, please let me know, if possible.
Jonathon Marshall
48 months ago #
Alex you are totally correct. Personally I think the last photo is the best and shows off the construction of the legs and exactly how they manage to hook themselves in to the fishes mouth and never let go.
I don’t recall ever seeing close-up photos of their legs in any of the research I did.
Mossgeek
28 months, 1 week ago #
heres another pic for you
jolene V
28 months ago #
I wonder if these parasites affect lakes and rivers too?? Sea lamprey have already been found in the great lakes in MN!! Also some eel like fish has been found in a few clams here in the great lakes as well.This really grosses me out!
Kyushu Trip 3 « the Compleat Tsuribito
25 months ago #
[...] not unusual to find a madai or other fish harbouring one of these Rhexanella parasites, I have never found more than one infecting the same animal (actually there were three, but I [...]
chuck v
17 months, 2 weeks ago #
I found one of these on a catfish i hooked on 3/24/9 in upper tampa bay.it was not on the tounge but hooked on the bottom near the tail and had left aneaten area abount the size of a quarter.took me while to find this site.but the picture sure looks like what i saw
David D
14 months, 2 weeks ago #
I’ve just cooked one of these in the UK from imported Bass. Gutted and cleaned 4 Bass and started cooking, on the BBQ. Quite a surprise when one of these crawled out of the mouth. I have some digital pictures if you’re interested. Contact me at ddawks@aol.com
Fishing Fury - A fishing blog with attitude! » Blog Archive » BBQ’d Tongue Eating Fish Parasite!
14 months ago #
[...] better. That being said, these parasites do no real damage to fish they inhabit. And according to reliable sources, eating fish containing the parasite is perfectly [...]