Parasitic barnacle hijacks deep-sea sharks in a Norwegian fjord
Earth.com reports that Anelasma squalicola, a barnacle, has evolved into a parasite that pierces lantern sharks in Norway's Sognefjord, feeding directly from host tissue and marking a rare evolutionary shift from plankton-feeding to a blood/tissue-feeding lifestyle. The finding provides a living snapshot of dramatic biological change and raises questions about whether this parasitic relationship could spread to other oceans beyond the fjord.