Headmaster finds tongue-eating louse in his fish

24 November 2014 - 13:19 By Times LIVE
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Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating louse.
Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating louse.
Image: Marco Vinci/ Wikipedia

Paul Poli, a 62-year-old headmaster, isn't all about that bass anymore.

According to the UK's Metro he was about to tuck into a tasty sea bass when he discovered a tongue-eating louse inside the fish.

The louse survives by entering a fish through its gills before attaching itself to the fish's tongue and eating it, then acting as a replacement.

Poli returned the bass to the store and said he is off fish for life.

"‘It was about 3cm long and 8mm wide, luckily just big enough for me to see it before I put it in my mouth," Poli said.

Morrisons, the story where he bought the fish, said that this sort of thing happens.

"Fish often pick up parasites naturally from their eco system.

"Although we make every effort to screen these out during the skinning or packaging processes, they may be present on very rare occasions," a spokesman said.

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