Re: Strange looking fish

["alex pastor" <alexp@idirect.com>]

Kathy Olson Wrote:

>It is a parasite.  Don't recall the name off the top of my head. (will
>look it up if I get a chance)
>
>Comes in on fish, but requires a bird in the life cycle so usually doesn't
>spread to other fish.  Doesn't seem to harm the fish either.
>
>Kathy


There are two things that can appear as black discrete blotches about 1mm in
diameter on the skin of fish.  One of the is Glochidia-producing freshwater
bivalve molluscs.  The larvae attach to the skin and gills of fish and
incite a hyperplastic response in the fish's epithelium.  Eventually, the
parasites are shed when they metamorphose into adult clams.  So it's a time
limited thing.  Not unusual on either wild caught or pond raised fish.
Unless they are super infested, the fish behave totally normally.

Then there is another one that looks very similar and may be the one Kathy
is writing about with the multiple hosts, but I can't remember for the life
of me what it is.  Neither parasite is, as Kathy writes, dangerous to the
fish.

Then of course, fish get bruises when they get into their territorial snits
with one another.  It's not that unusual to see darkish, small blotches on
apistos where they've 'bit' one another.  Females fight for spawning site,
and males fight for females.  These clear up in a few days, and then are
replaced by new blotches when they are in the 'mood' for spawning and there
are limited spawning sites.

Gabi Kadar
Toronto




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