Carnivorous sea lice 'eat' teenager's FEET in Australia

Sam Kanizay with his injured feet waiting for medical aid at a hospital in Melbourne (AFP)
Sam Kanizay with his injured feet waiting for medical aid at a hospital in Melbourne (AFP)

A teenager in Australia was reportedly attacked by a group of flesh-eating SEA LICE, who gorged on his feet when he went for a swim.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Sam Kanizay’s legs felt sore after he played a game of football on Saturday, so he decided to soak them at the beach in Melbourne.

Around 30 minutes later, the 16-year-old walked out of the water with his feet and ankles covered in what looked like hundreds of little pin holes that were bleeding profusely.

<em>The teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet (AFP)</em>
The teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet (AFP)

When he returned home, his parents rushed him to hospital but medics had no idea what kind of creature could have caused the injuries.

Sam’s father, Jarrod Kanizay, went back to the beach the following night with a pool net full of meat and captured the animals he believes could have been responsible.

Mr Kanizay took a video of dozens of the tiny bug-like creatures chomping on the chunks of flesh.

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He said: “What is really clear is these little things really love meat.”

Jeff Weir, executive director of the Dolphin Research Institute, believes the teenager may have been attacked by crustaceans called amphipods, which usually eat decomposing plant and animal scraps.

However, Thomas Cribb, a parasite expert from the University of Queensland, said it would be very unusual for amphipods to cause such extensive bleeding.

<em>Sam was bleeding profusely after a dip in the ocean at Brighton (AAP)</em>
Sam was bleeding profusely after a dip in the ocean at Brighton (AAP)

He said: ”It’s not a parasite I’ve ever come across.”

Meanwhile, marine expert Michael Brown believes the small bugs eating the meat in the video could be jellyfish larvae.

He told Channel Seven’s Sunrise programme: ”I’ve never seen anything like this.”