Rorqual Whale Lice [Cyamus boopis]
Description
Cyamus boopis, commonly known as Rorqual Whale Lice, is a species of ectoparasitic crustaceans that infest Rorqual Whales. They attach themselves to the skin of their hosts and feed on their skin and body fluids. Their bodies are adapted to resist the water currents around the whale when it is moving.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Flatworms
Platyhelminthes
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Cestoda
Cestoda
|
| Order |
Trypanorhyncha
Trypanorhyncha
|
| Family |
Triloculariidae
Triloculariidae
|
| Genus |
Whale Lice
Cyamus
|