033 – Parasites with Rod Bray

What if your deep-sea habitat was less rocky and more fleshy? That’s right, the time has come to talk all about deep-sea parasites and their fascinating life cycles.

We couldn’t think of anyone better to speak with than Dr Rod Bray, a pioneer in deep-sea parasitology research. Rod talks us through the captivating world of parasitic worms and his ongoing research into their ecology.

Continuing with the parasitic theme, Thom and Alan share their critiques (and also their love for) ‘The Last of Us’, an apocalyptic TV show involving fungal parasitology. The news is somewhat less parasite-y this month with Alan officially extending the depth records for several taxa and there’s a new species of cavefish described! Don also provides a highly unexpected story from his days as Captain of a submarine...

Are you now suddenly parasite-obsessed?! Satisfy your cravings with your very own parasitic deep-sea podcast merch featuring our favourite parasite - the tongue-eating isopod, Cymothoa exigua!

Check it out here!

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

podcast@armatusoceanic.com

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

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Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter:

Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)

Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley)

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea)

Instagram:

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/)

Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

www.armatusoceanic.com

Glossary

Cercaria - Offspring of digenean parasites.

Chimaera - A group of cartilaginous fish mostly found in deep waters.

Competition - A type of symbiosis where both species are harmed.

Commensalism - A type of symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Ctenophore - “Comb jelly” marine invertebrates found worldwide.

Digeneans - A class of trematodes consisting of parasitic flatworms with two suckers.

Ectoparasites - Parasites that live on the skin of the host.

Elasmobranch - The subclass of cartilaginous fishes consisting of sharks, skates and rays.

Emmensalism - A type of symbiosis where one species is harmed and one is unaffected.

Endoparasites - Parasites that live inside the tissues of the host.

Facultative symbiosis - A type of symbiosis which is optional; not necessary for survival.

Flukes - “Trematoda” is a class of flatworms. They are internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts.

Hydrozoan - A class of cnidaria. They are small predatory animals, most are benthic and involve a polyp stage.

Monogeneans - A group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish.

Mutualism - A type of symbiosis where both species benefit.

Myxozoa - A group of aquatic parasites which contains some of the smallest animals known to exist.

Neutralism - A type of symbiosis where neither species benefit nor are negatively affected.

Parasitism - A type of symbiosis where one species benefits and one is harmed.

Parasite burden - A measure of the number and virulence of the parasites that a host harbours.

Symbiosis - “Living together” two different species living closely together.

Teleosts - “Bony fishes”.

Tunicate - These are marine invertebrates sometimes called “sea squirts”.

Links

Rod’s article summarising the state of knowledge of deep-sea parasites in 2020

Alans research centre (and jobs)

New depth records for ctenophores, hydrozoans and tunicates in the hadal zone

A latitudinal gradient of deep-sea invasions for marine fishes

A paper and news article describing a new fish species discovered in India living in an aquifer

New phantom jelly seen

The Last of us opening scene on fungal parasites

Guns N’ Roses - My Michelle

Youtube

Spotify

Credits

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

#Podcast #SciComm #Science #MarineBiology #DeepSea #DeepOcean #AlanJamieson #Rodbray #parasitology #parasites #parasite #fluke #worm #copepod #isopod #helminth #lifecycle #deepseaspecies #symbiotic #Donwalsh #ThomasLinley #newspecies #discovery #scicomm #submarine #biodiversity #deepseacreatures #symbiosis #news #mariana #geology