Barnacle that eats sharks

Parasites stir mixed emotions, they're biologically interesting but often gruesome.  This one eats sharks, but only a little bit at a time.

Here's an unusual parasitic barnacle that attaches to sharks and makes a living using an unusual root-like organ that penetrates the sharks flesh and absorbs food from the shark's body fluids.

This barnacle seems more exciting and scary than the mild-mannered little fortresses that cling to rocks and pilings and filter plankton for food.

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