Cymothoa exigua, or the 'tongue-eating parasite'. (Photo: Marco Vinci/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The creature found in a tuna tin would be a parasite

Apparently, the strange creature with big eyes recently found in a tin of tuna chunks would be a parasite crustacean, as stated by an expert.

The discovery was made by a woman in Notthingan, opening a tin of Princes brand tuna.

Zoe Butler, the woman, said in astonishment, "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.”

Dr Hany Elsheikha, associate professor of veterinary parasitology at the University of Nottingham, said it could be some form of juvenile crab.

Meanwhile, Princes pointed out it was likely to be a megalopa, a small immature crab.

On his part, Stuart Hine, Identification and Advisory Service manager from the Natural History Museum, in London, stated, “From what I can see I would support the head of a Tongue-eating louse, Cymothoa exigua, or similar, The Telegraph reported.

The Cymothoa, a parasite crustacean, can grow up to an inch long. It enters fish through the gills, and then attaches itself to the fish's tongue. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of the tongue stub. The fish is then able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue.

A spokesperson for Princes said that Mrs. Butler had contacted them immediately and they had apologized to her. "We are arranging for her to send us the product so that we can look into this matter fully."

Butler noted that she had made the case public on social networks, where she caused quite a stir, to make sure that it would not happen to anybody else, and had no compensation intentions.

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