by Nancy Houser

Created on: July 12, 2009

The importance of whale parasites, such as the massive hitchhiking infestations of barnacles and whale lice, give a whole new meaning to their parasitic lifestyles. Typically a parasite is an animal, virus or plant which lives off its host in a close relationship for its own life functions-never benefiting its host. On whales, this is a relationship easily recognized where whale parasites can be easily seen as patchy white spots of barnacles on the whale's bodies. The parasites can also be seen as huge numbers of whale lice feeding on the whale's damaged tissue in open wounds and scars, or simply feeding on the whale skin itself.

With gray whales carrying more parasites than any other member of the cetacean family-whales, porpoises, or dolphins-the barnacle designs have used for individual identification of the family member while whale lice itself feeds other creatures who travel along with the whales for a free meal. In fact, the medium-sized gray whales carry over 400-pounds of whale lice and barnacles which attach themselves to their host for each of their own unique purposes.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WHALE LICE AND BARNACLES

Many whale lice, such as the "Cyamus rhachianecti", have been known to settle in the areas of the attached barnacle. The whale lice will literally "scoop out" the surrounding area of the barnacles to feed on the whale's dead and dying skin. This has been known to cause many of the barnacles to fall off. The barnacle the whale lice are usually found around is the "Cryptolepas rachianecti". Considered scavengers, the whale lice also eat detritus which is attached to the whale skin. Whale lice are transferred from adult whales to baby whales by the simple act of the rubbing or caressing of the mother toward her infant whale, occurin at the same time the barnacles are attaching to the youngster.

BARNACLE PARASITE ON THE SKIN OF A WHALE

When the clam-like barnacle parasites attach to the skin of a whale, it does not endanger or enhance it. Gentle crustaceans, the barnacle larvae will attach to any suitable hard surface (a turtle shell, whale skin or mollusk shell) where there are available nutrients and lives in marine or salt water environments. Unlike true parasites, they simply use their host as a free ride with the young larvae attaching to young whales and newborn calves. The "Cryptolepas rhachianecti" is a type of barnacle which attaches only to the gray whale, with most gray whales having common barnacles considered host-specific.

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