Parasite Photos

Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Image ID: 03267  

Closeup Portrait of the Face of a Giant Black Sea Bass, showing parasitic sea lice. These parasites find their nutrition from the skin and blood of the host giant sea bass. Smaller fishes such as senoritas and wrasses will commonly clean the sea lice off the giant sea bass.
Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 39436  

Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Image ID: 03265  

Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Image ID: 03268  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10001  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10002  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10004  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10008  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10022  

Humpback whale blowhole, showing twin nares (nostrils) which have a few small parasites clinging to the whale's skin around the blowhole openings.
Species: Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
Location: Santa Rosa Island, California
Image ID: 27041  

Coccineis ceticola diatoms grow on the skin of a blue whale. The thin brown film of commensal parasitic Coccineis diatoms, likely the species Coccineis ceticola, are often found on the skin of large cetaceans.
Species: Blue whale, Coccineis diatoms, Balaenoptera musculus, Coccineis ceticola
Location: Santa Rosa Island, California
Image ID: 27025  

California dodder, a common stem parasite in California that typically parasitizes host shrubs. Dodders resemble tangled masses of orange spaghetti covering shrubs. Dodder is without chlorophyll and are nonphotosynthetic and is therefor an obligate parasite dependent on its host for water and nutrients through a root system that penetrates the stem tissue of the host.
Species: California dodder, Cuscuta californica
Image ID: 11333  

Ocean sunfish, halfmoon perch removing its parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Medialuna californiensis, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 03167  

Ocean sunfish, halfmoon perch removing its parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Medialuna californiensis, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 03168  

Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Image ID: 03264  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10003  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10005  

Diseased skin near the dorsal fin of an ocean sunfish, likely caused by parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10007  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10009  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10014  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10016  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10017  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10019  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10020  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10021  

Diseased skin near the dorsal fin of an ocean sunfish, likely caused by parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10023  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10028  

Ocean sunfish hovers near drift kelp to recruite juvenile fish to remove parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 10029  

Ocean sunfish recruiting fish near drift kelp to clean parasites, open ocean, Baja California.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Mola mola
Image ID: 03266  

Ocean sunfish, halfmoon perch removing its parasites, open ocean.
Species: Ocean sunfish, Medialuna californiensis, Mola mola
Location: San Diego, California
Image ID: 03169