Epizoic (Adjective)
Meaning
Living or growing on the exterior surface of an animal usually as a parasite; "an epizoic plant parasite".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- Ticks and lice are epizoic parasites that live on the skin of mammals and birds.
- External fish parasites, like certain species of copepods, can be classified as epizoic organisms.
- Some species of algae can grow epizoically on the shells of turtles and other aquatic animals.
- Barnacles are often found attached to the skin of whales in an epizoic manner.
- Scientists have identified several types of fungi that grow epizoically on the exoskeletons of insects.