Gray Whale Lice [Cyamus scammoni]
Description
Cyamus scammoni, commonly known as Gray Whale Lice, is a species of marine ectoparasitic crustaceans. It is found exclusively on the body of the Gray Whale, giving it its common name. They attach themselves to the skin, baleen, and genital folds of the whales. Their bodies are adapted to hold onto the whale and resist the water flow around the whale when it is moving.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Flatworms
Platyhelminthes
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Cestoda
Cestoda
|
| Order |
Trypanorhyncha
Trypanorhyncha
|
| Family |
Triloculariidae
Triloculariidae
|
| Genus |
Whale Lice
Cyamus
|