Neptune Aquatics

Need help on disease ID please

rygh

Guest
I noticed my Hawknose was swimming funny.
He was occasionally swimming bent sideways.
Looking closely, on his side, he has a small brown "thing".
Smaller than a grain of rice, buy easily visible to naked eye.
Almost appears to be like a small worm or something stuck to him.
He is bending his body out, like it is clearly irritating him.
He is still eating ok though.

Heading to QT as soon as I can get it heated up, then catch him.

But I could really use some help on ID + how to treat.

Thanks in advance.

disease.jpg
 
Way to help me sleep tonight. |(

Turns out my heater in QT was on. Left it on after recent cleanup crew purchase.
And fish trap worked great!
He is acclimating now, and I plan to do a Formalin dip.

I am suspicious that this thing might have come from the snails somehow.
Whomever bought from reefcleaners.org group buy, and only did QT for a few days like me,
might want to be extra vigilant.
 
I can't tell from the picture. If you can pick it off the fish and freeze it or put it in some alcohol maybe we could look at it under a microscope.
 
I haven't found anything out of the ordinary so far but I'll certainly take a closer look tonight. Thanks for the heads up.

~Charlie
 
BAYMAC said:
Isopod? I cannot see the pic on my phone all that well, but your description leads me to isopod.

I searched online based on that. It is more wormlike, and not like a pill-bug, so probably not an isopod.
However, in that search, I noticed that a parasitic copepod does seem to match fairly well.

Thanks for the help.
 
Update:
I received a response from Bob Fenner at WetWebMedia. He believes
it is a parasitic copepod as well, and recommended manual removal.
Did that. Fish is stressed of course, but alive. Time will tell.
 
rygh said:
Update:
I received a response from Bob Fenner at WetWebMedia. He believes
it is a parasitic copepod as well, and recommended manual removal.
Did that. Fish is stressed of course, but alive. Time will tell.

I always thought those were isopods so I learned something as well.
 
Fish is doing well since manual removal.
Eating well. Swimming straight.
I believe I removed it all, and no sign of infection where I removed it.
But I will be leaving him in the hospital tank for a bit.

No sign of issues with other fish in the display tank.
 
Not_Now_John said:
If it has large creepy eyes, probably a parasitic isopod, if it looks like it has a pair of tails, parasitic copepod.

How is the fish doing Mark?

But how can you see ispod eyes when it is burrowed into the flesh?
 
BAYMAC said:
Not_Now_John said:
If it has large creepy eyes, probably a parasitic isopod, if it looks like it has a pair of tails, parasitic copepod.

How is the fish doing Mark?

But how can you see ispod eyes when it is burrowed into the flesh?

Then just look for the devious aura around them.

strickland02.jpg


Only thing creepier is the tongue ones.

parasitic_isopod_600.jpg
 
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