Members of the vertebrate group including anglerfish are unique in possessing a characteristic known as sexual parasitism, in which males temporarily attach or permanently fuse with females to mate.

Nematodes (roundworms) are distributed worldwide in almost all habitats. The Mermithidae, a family of nematodes larger than others, are obligate invertebrate parasites which occur in insects, ...

Distinguished by its unusual morphology and a reproductive system based on something called "sexual parasitism," the anglerfish represents a study in how life adapts to severe environmental ...

Scroungers and parasites seem to show up in nature wherever life produces something useful, and that includes parental care. Among birds, for example, the practice of laying eggs in other birds’ nests ...

Biologists have demonstrated that 'evolutionary experience' as well as learning protects cichlid fish from the brood parasitism practiced by the African cuckoo catfish. There are other animals besides ...

Using the model Orobanchaceae parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum, scientists have discerned the molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism and cross-species grafting, pinpointing one ...

Why are parasites ecologically important? Parasites can shape community structure through their effects on trophic interactions, food webs, competition, biodiversity, and keystone species. Aa Aa Aa ...

In the late 19th century, when scientists first discovered the single-celled creature called Nephromyces, they thought it was a parasitic fungus. They were wrong ...

Parasites are all around us – humans alone have 100 – yet they receive little attention. That should change, says ecologist Kevin Lafferty I wasn’t interested in parasites until I was asked to be a ...