VOA标准英语2012--Fish-Sucking Parasite Named After Bob Marley

 

Fish-Sucking Parasite¹ Named After Bob Marley

The new species is called Gnathia marleyi, named in honor of the late reggae star, Bob Marley.

Lead researcher Paul Sikkel, a marine² biologist at Arkansas State University with a passion for Marley’s music, says the parasitic³ marleyi is the first new find in the crustacean-like gnathiid family in two decades.

“What’s interesting about them is that they are only parasitic in the juvenile⁴ stage," Sikkel says. "They only feed when they are juveniles⁵, and they go through three different juvenile stages, one bigger than the other and they look a little bit like ticks or fleas⁶. They look very similar to terrestrial blood feeding organisms.”

Sikkel captured the juvenile marleyi at a so-called cleaning station. That’s a place on the reef where big fish gather so smaller fish and shrimp⁷ can nibble⁸ away at the parasites⁹, including juvenile marleyi, that attach to the skin of big fish.

The tiny adult male marleyi, on which the new species description is based, don’t eat. They just mate and die. Sikkel followed the species through its life cycle in the lab.

“The adult males look a little bit like bulldozers," Sikkel says. "They have square heads. They have pincers on their head and they are very cool-looking. And the females have a small head and a really big body that’s full of eggs." 

About 80 percent of all organisms found on coral reefs are parasites, with gnathiids among the most ecologically important. Sikkel says the concentration of gnathiids can be an indicator¹⁰ of how healthy a reef is. At some of his research sites, he is seeing fish more heavily covered with gnathiids - marleyi among them. 

“Too many gnathiids hurt the fish and too little coral, we think, leads to more gnathiids," Sikkel says. "So in a nice, healthy coral rich environment, we don’t find many gnathiids, fish just get a few of them. But in areas where there isn’t too much live coral, there are more gnathiids and the fish get heavier loads on them.”

Sikkel suspects that Gnathia marleyi may also play a role in transmitting a malaria-like disease that weakens the fish's immune system. His team is currently studying whether this pathogen, found in gnathiids on other reefs, is also present in the Caribbean.

“And then from there, once we find the species of fish that are affected¹¹, then we’ll do experiments to determine whether or not the gnathia marleyi actually plays a role in transmitting blood-born organisms.”

Sikkel hopes his discovery will shed new light on parasitic species like Gnathia marleyi and the impact they can have on marine ecosystems¹², which are already threatened by global warming, pollution and overfishing.

1 parasite   

n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客

参考例句：

• The lazy man was a parasite on his family.那懒汉是家里的寄生虫。
• I don't want to be a parasite.I must earn my own way in life.我不想做寄生虫，我要自己养活自己。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 parasitic   

adj.寄生的

参考例句：

• Will global warming mean the spread of tropical parasitic diseases?全球变暖是否意味着热带寄生虫病会蔓延呢？
• By definition,this way of life is parasitic.从其含义来说，这是种寄生虫的生活方式。

4 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

5 juveniles   

n.青少年( juvenile的名词复数 )；扮演少年角色的演员；未成年人

参考例句：

• Do you think that punishment for violent crimes should be the same for juveniles and adults? 你对暴力犯罪的惩罚对于青少年和成人应一样吗？ 来自生活英语口语25天快训
• Juveniles Should we not exactly in need of such strength and conviction? 少年的我们难道不正是需要这种力量和信念吗？ 来自互联网

6 fleas   

n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）

参考例句：

• The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。
• Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 shrimp   

n.虾，小虾；矮小的人

参考例句：

• When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
• When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。

8 nibble   

n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵

参考例句：

• Inflation began to nibble away at their savings.通货膨胀开始蚕食他们的存款。
• The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.鸟儿们紧贴在墙上，啄着砖缝。

9 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

10 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句