Mucophagy

For more information on human mucophagy, see Eating mucus.

Mucophagy (literally "mucus feeding") is defined as the act of feeding on mucus of fishes or invertebrates.[1] Also, it may refer to consumption of mucus or dried mucus in primates.

There are mucophagous parasites, such as some types of sea lice that attach themselves to gill segments of fish.[2] In addition, these mucophages may serve as cleaners of other animals, usually fishes.[3]

Another usage of this term is in reference to the feeding organ rich in mucous cells in which water is pumped, feeding particles get entrapped in mucus, and the latter proceeds into the esophagus.[4]

  1. ^ Thresher, Ronald E. (1979). "Possible Mucophagy by Juvenile Holacanthus tricolor (Pisces: Pomacanthidae)". Copeia. 1979 (1): 160–162. doi:10.2307/1443747. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1443747.
  2. ^ Pathogenesis of Wild and Farmed Seafish Archived 2006-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Gorlick, Dennis L. (1980). "Ingestion of Host Fish Surface Mucus by the Hawaiian Cleaning Wrasse, Labroides phthirophagus (Labridae), and Its Effect on Host Species Preference". Copeia. 1980 (4): 863–868. doi:10.2307/1444466. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1444466.
  4. ^ Bauchot, Roland; Ridet, Jean-Marc; Diagne, Monique (1993). "The epibranchial organ, its innervation and its probable functioning in Heterotis niloticus (Pisces, teleostei, osteoglossidae)". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 37 (3): 307–315. doi:10.1007/BF00004638. S2CID 9644212.