I also concur that some species of mussel glochidia do indeed infect the
fins as well as gills and gill operculum.
Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nanfa_at_aquaria.net On Behalf
Of Christopher Scharpf
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 1:43 PM
To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
Subject: Re: NANFA-- fish parasites
Yep, Pete nailed this one. The trematodes are unsightly, but harmless.
And Moon is right, glochidia grow on fins as well as gills.
Chris Scharpf
Baltimore
> From: "Pete Liptrot" <coelacanth_at_btinternet.com>
> Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
> Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 13:29:43 -0000
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Subject: Re: NANFA-- fish parasites
> They sound like encysted metacercaria of a digenetic trematode. They
usually
> only cause minor irritation if any, and fish can live and breed quite
> successfully while infected. There is little chance of transmission to
other
> fish, as what you are seeing is just an intermediate stage on the way to
the
> adult fluke ending up in it's final host, usually a piscivorous bird. Just
> keep your pet Heron away from the tank and you should be OK.
> They are found pretty well all over the world, I've seen them on fish from
> here in the UK, South America, Asia and West Africa.
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