Japanese study: 400 species of fish parasites or have a common ancestor

According to Japanese media reports, there are about 400 species of organisms called "shrunken-headed fish lice" in the world, which are widely parasitic in fish in various waters.

Infographic: Fish

Recently, teams from Ehime University and the Institute of Integrated Geoenvironment in Japan revealed that these creatures may have a common ancestor living in the deep sea.

It is reported that the lice of the shrunken head are several centimeters long and rely on the absorption of fish blood and body fluids to obtain nutrition. It can parasitize in many places such as fish gills, fish mouths, fish abdomen, and body surfaces.

The research team analyzed the DNA of the shrunken-headed fish lice collected around the world and concluded that the population of shrunken-headed lice parasitic on deep-sea flounders is likely to have originally evolved from a common ancestor. In addition, the researchers have determined that the populations that parasitize the gills of fish are the oldest.