RE: apisto with intestinal worms - hold the phone !!!

[Ken Laidlaw <kl@roe.ac.uk>]

The plot thickens! Whatever my fish had they were visible out of the anus of
the fish.   In my tank they were introduced with a single pair of
A.cacatuoides.  In a short time it seemed that virtually all the fish were
infected in the tank so I do not think they require a specific intermediate
host.  

In my book, A Complete Guide to Fish Diseases by G. Schubert it says:

"Camallanus.
This worm lives in the posterier end of the fish rectum.  In some species
the deep red worms can be seen protruding from the anus by several mm when
the fish is still, but as soon as the fish begins to move the worms quickly
slip back inside..........

Since Camallanus is livebearing, it's very small larvae can, with the aid of
a microscope, be observed in newly discharged feces.  Fishes that are
severely affected suffer from emaciation and frequently curvature of the
spine."


On Capilliara:
"The worms fix themselves to the intestinal wall and inflict considerable
wounds through which parasites such as Spironucleus may easily penetrate the
abdominal cavity......

Newly deposited feces will be found to contain the characteristic eggs which
look as though they have been sealed with champagne corks at either end."

The book suggests trichlorfon at 1.5mg/l but not all fishes tolerate this
concentration.

Ken.


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