16 Terrifying Worms & Parasites Living in the Water
Proving once and for all that size is absolutely no indication of might, these water parasites might just keep you out of oceans, lakes, or even your own swimming pool. Don’t get it twisted; parasites are true predators and can inflict quite a bit of damage on unsuspecting swimmers. From the disgusting to the deadly, these sixteen parasites are natural-born water-lovers.
16. Cymothoa Exigua
Also known as sea lice, the Cymothoa Exigua has a particular taste for Pink Snappers, but their relationship is a lot more symbiotic than parasitic. or maybe just a case of underwater Stockholm Syndrome, depending on your point of reference.
The Cymothoa Exigua worms its way into the Pink Snapper through its gills, eventually arriving at the tongue where it diverts the blood supply and becomes a bit of a substitute tongue.
Whether it’s because the fish is exceptionally lazy, or it has no choice, the Pink Snapper lets the Cymothoa Exigua live there and just become a substitute organ, which is a win-win in the animal kingdom.
15. Silver Pearl Fish.
These prolific parasites lodge themselves in a very nasty place, a Sea Cucumber’s anus. Fortunately for us, Silver Pearl Fish don’t attack humans, but for Sea Cucumbers, they are a wretched pest who loves to eat their hosts’ organs, often resulting in internal failure for the doomed Sea Cucumber.
Silver Pearl Fish are eel-like creatures that belong to the Carapidae family. Unfortunately, for Sea Cucumbers, you can find them all over the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
14. Sacculina Carcini.
These parasites prey specifically on crabs, and they are nothing short of petrifying. Sacculina Carcini delight in slipping in through the cracks in crabs’ claws and getting down to business, and by business, we mean devouring the crab from the inside out.
If you can barely think of a less pleasant death, you’re not alone. Sacculina Carcini is the terror of the seas, and after it consumes all of the crab’s organs, it has one sinister trick up its sleeve, laying its own young inside of the crab’s genitals.
The crab must nurture and birth the eggs, proving once and for all that nature is a very cruel mistress.
13. Copepod.
We call this one the blindness parasite because of the way that it attaches itself to the eyeballs of its prey and pumps minute amounts of fluid inside until the host animal totally loses its sight.
Copepods latch onto all different types of marine animals and occasionally stick to gills or fins, where it won’t cause too much damage.
It’s when the Copepod goes for the eyes that there’s a significant problem. Greenland Sharks are especially prone to Copepod attacks for a few reasons; they have naturally long lifespans, and they tend to swim in very dark, chilly water where the Copepod love to play.
Sometimes, Copepods will attach themselves to these sharks’ eyeballs from birth to death, sending the big beasts into a gradual blackout in their later years.
12. Lampreys
Are the prehistoric nightmare that you’ve never heard about until now. Prepare never to sleep again. Fortunately, Lampreys are relegated to the ocean’s depths, but that hardly makes these bizarre creatures any less terrifying.
Scientists largely consider them to be among the oldest vertebrates on the planet, and there’s nothing that Lampreys love more than a delicious feast of blood. Their mouths are pure terror; rows upon rows of spherical teeth that they use as a circular saw to drill a hole in their prey.
Sometimes, Lampries work their way into the gills of a fish, latching onto their tender inner organs with their rows of ghastly teeth.
11. Gyrodactylus Salaris.
Meet the parasite that literally liquefies the skin of its prey. Yes, Gyrodactylus Salaris is a horrid little beast with a nasty habit of latching onto freshwater fish and liquifying the skin with its noxious saliva. The result is a gooey mixture that Gyrodactylus Salaris laps up and lives off.
A mucus and decomposing flesh slurry might sound straight-up gross to us, but to Gyrodactylus Salaris, it’s the height of haute cuisine! Eventually, this parasite dissolves to much skin that the fish dies, horribly of lesions all over its body.
While Gyrodactylus Salaris isn’t much of a threat to humans, it does endanger plenty of fish species, which makes it a very unwelcome guest in lakes and rivers. Schistosoma Haematobium
10. Schistosoma Haematobium.
This nasty strain of flatworm is very dangerous to humans, and it enters our bodies through a highly unpleasant way; our skin.
Schistosoma Haematobium can be found all over Asia, and it generally infects Water Buffalo, but when it makes the leap to humans, watch out! Suppose you accidentally swim in a larvae-infected stream or river with an open cut.
In that case, you could unwillingly become a host for Schistosoma Haematobium, where your very own circulatory system will work against you to deliver eggs to your liver and organs. Larvae can corrupt your tissues, doing irrevocable damage to your liver and bladder.
Eventually, infected humans evacuate Schistosoma Haematobium as fecal matter, but this just starts the vicious cycle all over again as a whole new human host gets invaded.
9. Guinea Worm.
This deadly parasite can be found mostly in Africa and can cause major headaches when it comes to the drinking water supply.
African nations waged war against these microscopic assassins and managed to squash plenty of cases. In fact, Guinea Worms killed three point five million people in the 1980s, and today the fatalities range close to thirty.
That’s enormous progress, but it doesn’t take into account the number of people who get sick from ingesting Guinea Worms. With no treatment or known vaccination, the best way to stop infection is through education and clean drinking water practices.
As people become more aware, the number of Guinea Worm fatalities and sicknesses will continue to decline.
8. Cryptosporidium
Known as “Crypto,” this teeny parasite is not a secondary character from the Matrix 2, but the catalyst for a horrible diarrheal disease known as Cryptosporidiosis.
If you’ve ever gotten a case of rotten belly after taking a swim close to home, you might have felt the wrath of Cryptosporidium. It’s the number-one waterborne illness in the United States, and you can get it from tainted swimming pools, or even drinking water.
Cryptosporidium comes from animal shells and is immune to chlorine and other disinfectants. Talk about a crappy situation! Candiru
7. Candiru.
This brutal bloodsucker is more fish than a parasite, but it’s sheer size and preferred method of destroying all of your faith in humanity gives it a place on this list. Candiru are tiny catfish prominent in the Amazon River.
You could be swimming amongst them and never even notice until they make a beeline for your private parts. Candiru are the reason you should never take a pee in the Amazon River.
They are attracted to warmth and will swim upstream right to your urethra. Horribly, Candiru are small enough to wedge themselves up inside your bodied, where they will make themselves nice and comfy and proceed to feast on your blood and guts until extracted. Aside from the obvious yuck factor, Candiru cause plenty of pain and trauma. They are arguably the scariest creature in all of the Amazon!
6. Leeches
Once used for old-timey medicine, Leeches are the most notorious parasite on the planet. These squishy creepy-crawlies have rows upon rows of teeth, the better to latch onto your skin for bloodsucking. Yes, Leeches are old-school vampires, chomping down on their victims’ skin with zeal.
There are also plenty of them all over the planet. Over one hundred different varieties of the suckers exist, and you can find them in oceans, ponds, and lakes.
They are equal-opportunity feeders, latching onto marine life, fish, and people. Aside from their unique dietary habits, Leeches are extraordinary animals; they can breathe through their skin and have two hearts.
They are also exceptionally resistant to pollution, which might be a cool byproduct of their liquid diet.
5. Giardia.
Giardia is one of the biggest bads on this list because it’s often fatal to humans. When it’s not, it often causes delirium and explosive diarrhea. Next time you’re on a hike and fancy a nice drink out of the local river, think again. Giardia is found in freshwater all over the world.
When Giardia gets inside your body, you can expect near sudden sickness, starting with intense stomach cramps and escalating into delirium, high fevers, and watery diarrhea. What’s more, many people who get Giardia don’t even know that they are sick until it’s far too late.
4. Vibrio Cholarae
Is the nasty little parasite that causes Cholera, an ancient sickness that still haunts much of the world today. Cholera is a serious diarrheal sickness that you get from sipping on tainted water, and without proper care, you can easily die.
Cholera is mostly caused by water tainted with fecal matter, and symptoms include watery diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and lots of vomiting. Those who suffer the ravages of Cholera also report intense thirst and painful muscle cramps.
Some people even lose their eyesight or go into shock. The best way to prevent a chance meeting with Vibrio Cholerae is to make sure that you’re only washing dishes with and drinking clean water.
3. Shigella.
Shigella causes Dysentery, a disease that we all remember from playing the Oregon Trail, but one that is still running rampant in the world today. Dysentery is nothing to snicker at.
Its debut appearance is bloody diarrhea, and it just escalates from there, with loose stools, vomiting, and sky-high fevers. Infants exposed to Shigella are at the most risk, but anyone with Dysentery symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.
2. E Coli.
E Coli is one of the most famous bacteria in the world, and there’s an excellent reason why. This parasitic monstrosity comes from the Escherichia genius, and many strains are perfectly harmless. The problem comes into play when you run into a strain that causes explosive diarrhea and muscle cramps that will keep you incapacitated for hours on end.
If you run across a nasty strain of E Coli, get ready for a world of hurt, including brutal stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and projectile vomiting. You can also settle in for the long haul.
Those who get a touch of the bad E Coli will suffer for at least five days, with severe cases stretching out a full week. You might even need to go to the hospital.
1. Naegleria Fowleri.
Our number one creepiest parasite is actually an amoeba; and a genuinely nightmarish one at that. Naegleria Fowleri is known as the brain-eating amoeba, and it lives up to its ghastly name. Typically, Naegleria Fowleri are harmless, but once they go up your nose, it’s a whole different ballgame.
You can also find this creepy amoeba in freshwater all over the planet, so there’s an excellent chance that you’ve already come face to face with these killer amoebas and lived to tell the tale. How? Naegleria Fowleri doesn’t actually want to swim up your nose.
They are fine chilling out where they are in freshwater. The problem comes when you dive into the water or take a header off your jet skis, and the infected liquid goes straight up your nostrils. Naegleria Fowleri will eat its way through your nasal cavities, eventually making its way all the way up to your brain, where it continues the feast. Expect vomiting, searing headaches, and spiked fevers between one to five days after infection. Once Naegleria Fowleri reaches your brain, you’re pretty much a goner. Ninety-seven point two percent of people infected with this swimming amoeba will die. Which parasite are you most disgusted with? Let us know in the comments below.
