Like many lampreys, this species feeds as an ectoparasite and parasite of fish. It is an ectoparasite of fish which infests the gills. The parasite may live outside of the host ectoparasite; for example, a tick. Though not a common ectoparasite, it may be an emerging pathogen in California. The scent may also act as an ectoparasite repellent. One function of comfort behaviours is hygiene, particularly in the form of ectoparasite removal. This is an ectoparasite that lives exclusively on humpback whales. Being a migratory ectoparasite, Mesocriconema xenoplax spends its life in the soil. They can be found in unusually high numbers at sites of ectoparasite infection, e.g., ticks. "P. geometra" is an ectoparasite of various fish species. Grooming is extremely important not only to clean themselves but also to ensure ectoparasite control. Another known ectoparasite of the yellowtail barracuda is the copepod "Caligus inopinatus". It is an ectoparasite that becomes endoparasitic invading inflorescence and developing seeds. Dermanyssus gallinae (also known as the red mite) is a haematophagous ectoparasite of poultry. Melittobia, a parasitoid wasp, is a common ectoparasite of "T. politum" prepupae.