Crab Mind Control

**Error** · 14 Sep 2005, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Yoshi

I guess the same mental capacity and lot in life that steers someone that way would also make them think they are clever. Thanks for the explanation.

Weeeee!!!!

**voltz** · 14 Sep 2005, 08:03 PM

They got a weird parasite that barrows into the brain of ants. When one gets taken over, it emits a scream that can barely be heard then climbs a tree, latches it's jaws to the bark and hangs there till the parasite grows to the point where it will burst and spread it's seeds around the area, thus starting the cycle all over again.

**YellerDog** · 14 Sep 2005, 08:45 PM

Body Snatchers, yo.

**Jetman** · 14 Sep 2005, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

There's a type of barnacle known as rhizocephalan which messes up crabs and shrimp, it's really crazy. I heard about it the other day and had to find out more. The barnacle basically takes over the mind of the crab and stops it from reproducing: instead of producing its own egg sac or whatever, the barnacle produces its own that the crab takes care of and protects as though it had a bunch of little crab babies in it. Even stranger, if one latches onto a male crab, it turns the male into a female, effectively.

I don't know why I wanted to share this on TNL, but here are some links about the thing. It's oddly interesting. Imagine if the barnacle could affect us?

http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seash...arasitism.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizocephala

Cool. It doesnt sound like it takes over the crabs mind though from reading that link. Maybe that it just makes the crab sick so it acts differently. Like the way a person acts differently when they have the flu or cancer or something?

What's weird is, I think cancerous tumors in humans have rhizoids and tendrils that can grow out of them like that parasite does in the crab. I know the one they pulled out of my mom was like the size of a grapefruit and had little appendages and shit from what her doctor said.

But, yeah, life would suck if humans were vulnerable to something like that.Although,If that thing can eat through a crab's shell, then why not human skin?

**ChaoofNee** · 14 Sep 2005, 11:49 PM

Some more on crab mind control.

**Cowutopia** · 15 Sep 2005, 02:13 AM

I swear to god I thought this thread was about half-life.

**Calliander** · 15 Sep 2005, 02:50 AM

Apparently, there's also some sort of parasite that latches onto a fish's tongue. It then sucks the blood from it until the tip falls off, then it replaces the tip and eats the food the fish takes in before the fish can get it. Messed up.

In addition, there's one that grasshoppers get which makes them drown themselves.

**Super-Eggroll** · 15 Sep 2005, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Mike

Apparently, there's also some sort of parasite that latches onto a fish's tongue. It then sucks the blood from it until the tip falls off, then it replaces the tip and eats the food the fish takes in before the fish can get it. Messed up.

In addition, there's one that grasshoppers get which makes them drown themselves.

Yeah, I saw a bit about that on SomethingAwful -

INSIDE JOB