Sacculina takes over the host in both body and mind – it castrates the crab, then turns it into a doting babysitter that grooms and aerates the barnacle’s brood, ...

While Sacculina is, as a rule, solitary, some related forms occur in considerable numbers on a single host. The development of these has hitherto been something of a puzzle, ...

Sacculina makes her home inside the crab, spreading investigative feeding tubes around its body. As Sacculina redecorates, the crab weakens. Sacculina castrates the males, or replaces the female’s ...

Sacculina reproduces when tiny male parasites enter the sac the female has created. They live within the female - which in turn lives within the crab - and fertilise her eggs. Not content with ...

Sacculina could be looked at as an example of parisitism, considering this relationship as the inhabiting of a particular niche. Ecosystems. Now playing video 5 of 5. Evolution of seaweed.

Shorecrab (Carcinus maenas) with yellow sack of the parasite (Sacculina carini) Credit. Hans Witte (NIOZ) Usage Restrictions. Credit must be given to the creator. License. CC BY.

Meet Sacculina carcini – a barnacle that makes a living as a real-life body-snatcher of crabs. Unlike most barnacles that are happy to simply stick themselves to a rock and filter food from the ...

Sacculina could be looked at as an example of parisitism, considering this relationship as the inhabiting of a particular niche. Ecosystems. Now playing video 5 of 5. Evolution of seaweed.