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rarefied bass - sea footage fascinate a blood - absorb parasite latch onto the trunk of a ghoulish gulper eel . In the video , the eel swims closely to the camera before revealing a bright - cerise parasite pop out from its back with two string - like structures dredge behind it .
Researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute spotted the elusive parasite while exploring seamounts in the Southeast Pacific Ocean along the coast of Chile . The parasite is likely a type of copepod — a diminished crustacean plant throughout the globe ’s oceans , instance write in aFacebook mail service .
The parasite is suspected to be a Pennelid parasitic copepod - a type of mesoparasite that lives partially embedded in the skin of its host.
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Gulper eels are commonly known as pelican eel because of their power to burn out up their mouthpiece like balloons to catch prey , exchangeable to how pelicans use their stretchy flyer pouch like sportfishing nets . They are found worldwide at depths around1,640 to 9,800 feet ( 500 to 3,000 meters ) . The unexampled footage was record 6,148 feet ( 1,874 m ) below the sea airfoil by a remotely operate vehicle .
" The parasitic copepod is a extremity of the Pennellidae,“James Bernot , an evolutionary life scientist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History , who was not on the expedition , told Live Science in an electronic mail .
Pennellid parasites use a structure called a holdfast to embed their anterior into the tissue of the host.
sponge in this menage are mesoparasites — meaning they live part within the body of their host . These parasites expend a branching structure yell a fastening to embed themselves into the flesh of their boniface . When one of these parasites anchors itself into the tissue , " it prey on blood and fluids that pocket billiards at the attachment site , " Bernot state .
Pennellidshave a complex life cycle , with some species having multiple hosts . Like other crustacean , they begin their life assmall planktonic larvaecalled nauplii . When one of these diminutive organisms reaches a worthy legion , it bury into the aerofoil of the organism . Once at heart , " its trunk transforms and grow many clip with child into what we can now see here , with much of its freshly enlarged body trailing outside of its server , " Bernot say .
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The long string - like structures trailing behind it are the parasite ’s eggs . These copepod are " surprisingly caring mother " that will withstand onto their egg string section until they hatch . " This pennelid copepod probably has more than 100 eggs trailing behind it , " Bernot said .
This parasite is for good implant into the gulper eel . " In fact it could not detach even if it did want to , " Bernot said .
view this parasite in activity provides a rare perceptivity into their life , according to the Facebook post . " Thanks to robotic creature for geographic expedition … scientists are beat a readable scene of a tool only previously observe via profligate samples collected close to by nets , " representatives pen .
