noun
- An external parasite that lives on the skin or outer surface of an animal.
Usage: technical; biology; plural: epizoans or epizoa
Examples
- Fleas and lice are common epizoans that infest mammals.
- The veterinarian identified several epizoans on the dog's fur.
- Epizoans differ from internal parasites in their location on the host.
- Sea lice are epizoans that attach to fish in aquaculture farms.
- The study examined how epizoans affect the health of wild populations.