Nasty...Nematodes???

[ddrag2]

I have been noticing my green palys acting strange, also there were many small white dots on them. A few days later (tonight) the small white dots turned into large yellow egg sacs. The Palys are also starting to bleach out because of them. I dissected one of the yellow ball shaped little bastards and found some really nasty little clear worms...maybe nematodes. I have attached two microscope pics: the first at 40X and the second at 100X. the other pic clearly shows the damage. If anyone knows anything about these please let me know. Sorry this is a repost I just needed a different audience.

 

[LeslieH]

Yes, I do think they're nematodes and I wonder if the white dots/yellow sacs were actually infestation sites rather than eggs. There are specific dewormers which are used on fish which this page (which is quite informative http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa091) says only gastrointestinal nematodes are effected by dewormers. Nematodes found in other body regions & external portions are not. Maybe Flatworm Exit would work? You should immediately quarantine your palys while you see if there's anything you can do to eradicate the worms.

 

[ddrag2]

I would love to quarantine the polyps but they are one of the few things growing directly on my main base rock supporting about 40 pounds of other rock. All of the button polyps seem to have some remnants of these worms on them. Do you think they are species specific? I have other palythoas that seem to be unaffected and are far more valuable. I think ill cut off the most infected looking ones. I have seen my scooter blenny and emerald mithrix hanging out in the "infestation" zone. Are they eating the nematodes or just picking at the dead skin?

 

[LeslieH]

I haven't a clue about whether these things are species specific. Using a variety of search terms on google I tried to find more information on nematodes that parasitze corals & really didn't find anything.

Lots of other animals eat nematodes. Even if the scooter & emerald are just picking at dead skin they're likely to be taking up the worms as well. What about getting some fish & shrimp known to be pickers & cleaners?

 

[mscarpena]

You can try a 6 lined wrasse. They are great at eating things off of live rock. Also PraziPro might work on killing these guys. I would not treat your entire tank though. I know furan-2 kills zoapox, but that is for bacterial infections. Just a thought. Good luck.