Really? Yes, really.

A newly discovered crustacean parasite found in Caribbean waters has been named after Bob Marley, the iconic, rebellious and soccer-loving (among other things) Reggae singer and guitarist. The species, known as Gnathia marleyi, was named after Marley “because of my respect and admiration for Marley’s music. Plus, this species is uniquely Caribbean as was Marley,” according to Paul Sikkel, an assistant professor of marine ecology and a field marine biologist at Arkansas State University, who discovered the species.

So, just how similar to Marley is this tiny parasite? Let’s consider its eating habits:

“By concealing themselves within coral rubble, sea sponge or algae, juvenile Gnathia marleyi are able to launch surprise attacks on fish and then infest them.”

Yowsers! As a blogger and Bob Marley box set owner (and former Bob Marley black light poster owner) I am going to say, with some authority, that this crustacean is nothing like Bob Marley. But it’s still a pretty cool story.

Found on BoingBoing, Reuters and yes, National Science Foundation.

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