What is this? I'm grossed out!

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C L O W N K N I F E said:
Wow, that bug is pretty big then...that might rule out fish lice then because fish lice only get to be about 0.2mm if I'm not mistaken
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I think you're right. That thing is a beast.
 
"as the parasite is normally found off the coast of California, this led to speculation that the parasite's range may be expanding"

I'd say the parasite's range is indeed expanding!
 
Wow...I've never seen anything like this before and I'm learning so many things about this parasite that it freaks me out

"It is one of the most horrifying parasites on the planet"
 
yeah its super gross i found a pic a while back and looked it up till it freaked me out..surprised to see someone with what might be it on the forum.
 
Sick!!! In gonna have nightmares. Should I take a popsicle stick to the other fishes mouths and make them open up and say "ahhhh"? ;) How do I get rid of them? If there are indeed more, I don't see more but I surely didn't see that coming either...
 
musilvr4eva said:
Sick!!! In gonna have nightmares. Should I take a popsicle stick to the other fishes mouths and make them open up and say "ahhhh"? ;) How do I get rid of them? If there are indeed more, I don't see more but I surely didn't see that coming either...
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I think there is a good possibility that there may be more. Let me search for a way to get rid of them because I don't know how either :) ...One moment

Oh and you should put that bug in a jar and keep it, it is pretty cool and can tell an awesome story for those wondering wtf it is lol

I think scientists are still learning about this particular parasite, could be wrong though.

Some more info (below),

"It enters through the fish’s gills and uses claws to attach itself to the base of the snapper’s tongue and survives by drinking blood from an artery. Once the tongue has been gotten rid of, it attaches itself as a new tongue, and manipulate’s the fish’s food and consumes the free food particles as the fish eats. Again, there is some confusion on what exactly happens: whether the louse eats the tongue, or simply causes it to atrophy due to blood loss, but the net effect is the same: the louse becomes the new tongue."


This is truly disgusting...
 
I have no clue how to get rid of them..or where your fish would of gotten it....hopefully someone will chime in who might know!

i just so happen to have seen it before cuz i look up strange things...

..i would check your other fishes mouths though and QT any one with it.
 
Still no luck in finding a way to kill the parasite. What I would do though is remove the fish from the tank and put them in a large plastic bin/tote with a heater and bubbler for the night while you clean the tank really good. I would also check out the other fish's mouths to see if they might have it (remember, while examining your fish's mouth--do not keep them out of water for more than 45 seconds...it can be easy to lose track of time while examining their mouths)
 
...start dosing prazipro maybe?..

I was also thinking this might need to be reported? at least to people who are researching it..

just noticed the OP is from WA
 
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