May 10, 2012 - I Have My Eye on You

infinite monkey · 05-11-2012, 10:34 AM

The Breads Have Eyes!

glatt · 05-11-2012, 10:47 AM

So it was pretty obvious to me that it was a detail of a whale, but I thought it was a humpback whale, which was wrong.

I wondered about those white spots. I always assumed they were just barnacles. It's true there are some barnacles in there, but mostly the white stuff is "whale lice," or cyamids.

If you look just below the eye, you can see some of the individual lice clearly and see their legs. Creepy.

The cyamids live on tough patches of whale skin, like callouses, called callosities. The cyamids just live in the crevasses of the callosities and give them a white color. They are basically little miniature crabs that hook onto the skin and eat it. Poor whales.
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Name: cyamids.jpg
Views: 1508
Size: 112.8 KB

Cyber Wolf · 05-11-2012, 12:40 PM

Thanks for the rousing bout of piloerection!

I like my reef island better.

Gravdigr · 05-11-2012, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

...but mostly the white stuff is "whale lice,"...

WHALES GOT CRABS!!

05-11-2012, 12:40 PM	#3
Cyber Wolf As stable as a ring of PU-239 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On a huge rock covered in water, highly advanced moss and 7 billion parasites Posts: 1,264	Thanks for the rousing bout of piloerection! I like my reef island better. __________________ "I don't see what's so triffic about creating people as people and then getting' upset 'cos they act like people." ~Adam Young, Good Omens "I don't see why it matters what is written. Not when it's about people. It can always be crossed out." ~Adam Young, Good Omens

05-11-2012, 10:34 AM	#1
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	The Breads Have Eyes!

05-11-2012, 10:47 AM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	So it was pretty obvious to me that it was a detail of a whale, but I thought it was a humpback whale, which was wrong. I wondered about those white spots. I always assumed they were just barnacles. It's true there are some barnacles in there, but mostly the white stuff is "whale lice," or cyamids. If you look just below the eye, you can see some of the individual lice clearly and see their legs. Creepy. The cyamids live on tough patches of whale skin, like callouses, called callosities. The cyamids just live in the crevasses of the callosities and give them a white color. They are basically little miniature crabs that hook onto the skin and eat it. Poor whales.

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