Green crustacean/bug on fish.

[aquaculture]

When one of the two new megaldoras I got from the lfs had the green bug on it, it stuck itself on with its legs, and once i plucked it off it stuck to me also , I got i off of my self cut it in half and one of my koi ate it.

I tried google but stil can't figure out what it was, i forgot what it is called, was told a while back.

 

[Oddball]

try a google search on argulus.

 

[aquaculture]

Here is what it looked like and it left no noticeable mark on the catfish or me.

 

[Oddball]

That pic is from another site from 2006. It's an argulus species from overseas. It can be treated with Clout just as native argulus species can be treated.

 

[knifegill]

Clout is pretty rough. Are there gentler options for the OP?

 

[Oddball]

If the fish is new, and no egg sacs are visible on the lice, the lice can be removed with tweezers. Then, just observe the fish for reinfection. If the fish was bought a couple of weeks ago, the tank can be treated with potassium permanganate at the rate of 5mg per gallon (will color the water and anything else it touches when wet). With meds, remember to remove the resins/carbon from the filter.
Some people claim success in using Prazipro but, I'm dubious to the success of a fluke treatment. You can give it a shot if you want.
Ponders have good success treating with Dimilin. But, it's hard to find.
A non-med treatment would be to run the tank fishless for about 3 weeks. Adults will die in about a week with no host to feed off of. Newly hatched argulus die within a couple of days if they can't locate a host. However, the eggs stagger-hatch to allow the young the best chance of locating non-infected hosts. Of course, in the meantime, your fish are in a bare Q-tank where you can remove the argulus and monitor for reinfestation.

 

[Pomatomus]

I'm asking a question, not making a suggestion but...

...depending on where it is, could you hold a flame close to it and make it release like a tick?

 

[Oddball]

They don't have locking jaws like a tick. If you're going to remove them manually, tweezers will work just fine.

 

[Pomatomus]

Oh! I just remembered that saline injections usually work too...or at least that's what I heard.

 

[aquaculture]

Yah I didn't see anything that looked like eggs on the lice or the fish so I kust pinched it between my left index finger and left thumb nails while holding the newly purchased baby megaladoras, I then cut the lice in half and a koi ate it.

So this lice was asian in origin?

Thanks for everything oddball, and sorry for not citing pic sorces.

Lice was on a fish purchased earlier today and removed and killed before added to tank.