Attachment performance of the ectoparasitic seal louse Echinophthirius horridus.
Journal
Communications biology
ISSN: 2399-3642
Titre abrégé: Commun Biol
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101719179
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 Jan 2024
05 Jan 2024
Historique:
received:
13
09
2023
accepted:
18
12
2023
medline:
6
1
2024
pubmed:
6
1
2024
entrez:
5
1
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Marine mammals host a great variety of parasites, which usually co-evolved in evolutionary arms races. However, little is known about the biology of marine mammal insect parasites, and even less about physical aspects of their life in such a challenging environment. One of 13 insect species that manage to endure long diving periods in the open sea is the seal louse, Echinophthirius horridus, parasitising true seals. Its survival depends on its specialised adaptations for enduring extreme conditions such as hypoxia, temperature changes, hydrostatic pressure, and strong drag forces during host dives. To maintain a grip on the seal fur, the louse's leg morphology is equipped with modified snap hook claws and soft pad-like structures that enhance friction. Through techniques including CLSM, SEM, and histological staining, we have examined the attachment system's detailed structure. Remarkably, the seal louse achieves exceptional attachment forces on seal fur, with safety factors (force per body weight) reaching 4500 in average measurements and up to 18000 in peak values, indicating superior attachment performance compared to other insect attachment systems. These findings underscore the louse's remarkable adaptations for life in a challenging marine environment, shedding light on the relationship between structure and function in extreme ecological niches.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38182875
doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05722-0
pii: 10.1038/s42003-023-05722-0
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
36Subventions
Organisme : Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)
ID : GO 995 46-1
Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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