Modern Mysteries

Weird creature found inside a tin of tuna

By T.K. Randall
February 6, 2015 ·  31 comments

The tongue-eating louse commonly affects fish in the wild. Image Credit: NOAA The 28-year-old got the fright of her life when she caught sight of a pair of eyes staring back at her from inside the can.

"I opened the top of the lid and saw a purply thing, a gut sack or intestine – then I turned it round and pushed it with a fork and saw it looking back at me," she said.

"I dropped the fork, jumped back, screamed a bit and shouted for my nan to come and have a look."

News of her discovery soon hit social media with the incident being dubbed "tunagate" on Twitter.Experts have since been weighing in on what they believe the creature to be with the most widely accepted theory being that it is a parasite known as Cymothoa exigua or the "tongue-eating louse" which enters the fish through its gills, eats its tongue and then takes up residence in its mouth.

Other suggestions include a tadpole, a blowfish or the head of a soft-shelled turtle.

"I haven't shown it to the kids because they might get put off eating tuna," said Mrs Butler. "I just want to find out what it is and to make sure it doesn't happen to somebody else. "

A photograph of her discovery can be viewed - here.

Source: Telegraph | Comments (31)

Tags: Tuna, Louse