whale louse

English

Noun

whale louse (plural whale lice)

1. A parasitic amphipod crustacean of the family Cyamidae found in skin lesions, genital folds, nostrils and eyes of marine mammals of the order Cetacea, i.e. whales, dolphins and porpoises.
   • 1971 Mar, National Geographic, page 411:

     Crablike whale lice dig deeply into sores and cuts.

Synonyms

• cyamid

Translations

parasitic crustacean of the family Cyamidae

• Finnish: valaantäi
• Russian: кито́вая вошь f (kitóvaja vošʹ)