Gaunt was a legendary Trill symbiont revered by Iklani Trill, who would often reference "Gaunt's hosts" when frustrated or making promises.
Gaunt was believed by some to have been the first symbiont to join with a humanoid Trill host. According to the legend, it lived for a thousand years and joined with forty different hosts. However, Gilad Ronson stated that this was impossible and that no symbiont had ever survived more than twelve. (The War of the Masters: "A Good Compromise")