Insects are virtually absent from the sea, but fish aren’t safe from lice of their own. Argulus or “fish lice” are crustaceans, like crabs or lobsters, but adapted to a fully parasitic lifestyle. Their flat, saucer-shaped bodies act as powerful suction cups, clinging to their host’s slick, slimy scales even against a raging current. Just like the parasites of us air-breathers, these “fish lice” can transmit viral infections as they spread from one host to another.
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