A tiny blood-sucking parasite that infests fish on Caribbean coral reefs has been named after Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley.

Arkansas State University marine biologist Paul Sikkel discovered the parasite off the US Virgin Islands a decade ago, but it was only recently unveiled as "Gnathia marleyi" as a homage to the singer.

The biologist said he he named the tiny crustacean out of "respect and admiration" for Marley, who died in 1981.

The National Science Foundation says the creature is a new species of parasite, similar to land-based blood-sucking tics.

Celebrities such as comedian Stephen Colbert and singer Beyonce have also had insects named after them.

Bob Marley was born in Jamaica in 1945 and the island is festooned with memorabilia of its famous citizen.

His band, Bob Marley And The Wailers, was hugely successful in the 1970s, and introduced reggae to the western world.

Marley's music was heavily influenced by Rastafarianism, to which he was introduced by his wife Rita. His best known songs include I Shot The Sheriff, No Woman, No Cry and One Love.

The singer was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 1977 but his cancer was kept secret from the public while he continued working.

He collapsed in New York's Central Park during a US tour in September 1980, and died in a Miami hospital on May 11 the following year, aged just 36.