What Are Sea Lice? Culprit of Australian Boy's Leg Wounds Explained
A teenage Australian boy made headlines over the weekend after mysterious sea creatures feasted on his legs, which he had soaked in the water at Brighton Beach in Melbourne.
Sam Kanizay, 16, told ABC News that he dipped his feet in the water after a soccer match. However, when he decided to step out about half an hour later, he noticed that both of his legs were profusely bleeding.
"I walked out and saw what I thought was sand covering my calf and shook it off, and by the time I'd walked across the sand about 20 meters to put my thongs on, I looked down and noticed I had blood all over my ankles," he said.
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Speculations said that this was caused by sea lice, which are small, sometimes microscopic, crustaceans that usually feed on dead marine life, such as whales fishes, crabs, and many others, according to The Age. They also attack humans, however, as they are known to leave only itchy tiny rashes and not blood.
After the boy was taken to the hospital, his father, Jarrod Kanizay, decided to do his own investigation. He reportedly went back to the beach, bringing a pool net which he filled with meat. Later on, he posted a video showing dozens of tiny sea creatures munching on the pieces of meat.
The collected sample was then examined by marine biologist Genefor Walker-Smith. According to Bayside City Council, the creatures have been identified as lysianassid amphipods, also known as sea lice, confirming the initial speculations.
These are a type of scavenging crustacean, and although these do bite humans, the bleeding might have been caused by something else. As per Walker-Smith, there is a possibility that the amphipods contained anti-coagulant like leeches, which could have been responsible for the bleeding.
The good news is that these creatures are not venomous and will not cause long-term damage. These lysianassid amphipods are also said to be a vital part of the marine environment, considering that the oceans will be filled with tons of decaying fish if they are not present.
