Nature Blog Network

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Rare sighting in the Azores!

Portuguese fisheries biologists have made a rare sighting of the endangered amphipod, the Right Whale Lice.

Cyamus ovalis Photo: Vicky Rowntree, University of Utah

The lice, and their host, were spotted off the coast of the Azores according to the report from the New England Aquarium's Jeff Ives and Aquarium whale researcher Philip Hamilton. Phillip has the complete story along with pictures and map of the sighting and positive ID of the host (last seen in Gulf of Maine just a few months ago!). For some reason though they seem to focus on the host organism, rather than the awesome whale lice.

3 comments:

  1. I can't imagine why most people would find the whale more interesting. I mean, that's just silly. :)

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  2. Eric sees the whales for the lice.

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  3. I love how much the legs on these fellows look like human crab lice!
    Convergent evolution, anyone? :D

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