Cyamus scammoni

Gray whale lice:

Gray whale lice (Cyamus scammoni): This is the most common species of whale lice on the Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus). It is distinguished from Gray and Bowhead Whale Amphipod (Cyamus ceti) and Little Gray Whale lice (Cyamus kessleri) by its branched gills which look like tiny looped noodles attached to the ventral side. Also, C. kessleri is more likely to be found near the anal and vaginal slits when living on gray whales, and less likely to be found on the head of flippers areas.

Look closely: people tend to think that this animal's rear end is in fact its head.

Local Notes

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References

Weblinks

• WoRMS page for Cyamus scammoni

• WoRMS Page for Cyamus scammoni
• Search Arctos Database for Cyamus scammoni (Southeast only)
• Search Arctos Database for Cyamus scammoni (entire database)
• Encyclopedia of Life search for Cyamus scammoni
• iNaturalist Observations for Cyamus scammoni in Southeast Alaska

Other References

• Carlton 2007
• Morris 1980
• Leung 1967
• Martin Heyning 1999
• Lamb Hanby 2005
• Hurley Mohr 1956
• Kozloff 1996

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Related Files

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  Gray whale lice (Cyamus scammoni) on dead Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

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  Cyamus on Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)

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