Small grey leech on underside of clownfish??

[Lazeeboy]

Hi all.

I got a couple of clownfish about 3 months ago and all has gone well with them so far. They are the first fish in my tank which is about 1 year old, 56 gallon with live rock. Some corals growing ok and an anenome thats been in about 5 months and feeding ok.

This morning I noticed something odd on the underside of the female clown. It has definitely appeared since yesterday as I was drawn to it by my cleaner shrimp which is showing a lot of interest in it?

There seems to be a little grey leech (about 6mm) type of thing (best I can describe it!) clinging to the underside about half way down the fish. The fish is swimming about ok but presenting herself a lot to the cleaner shrimp (never used to do that).
The leechy thing is slightly translucent with a reddish stomach (maybe??).

Any ideas what it is, how I get rid, should I let it do its thing and drop off etc??? I've never come across something this size on a fish before.

Help!!

(I'll try and post a pic if I can work it out...)

Thanks guys.

 

[Lazeeboy]

Here is the pic...

 

[kevin2000]

Picture not that clear ... do a search for cirolanid isopods , if so, nasty critter which should be manually removed from the fish.

Heres one article on the subject ... s/b plenty more on the web.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Hope this helps.

 

[caseyjones]

It looks like Lice

 

[Percula9]

Try a fresh water bath to see if that will make it fall off.

 

[Lazeeboy]

Well, I found out what it was - definitely a small isopod.

It got eaten though by my cleaner shrimp who picked it off the clown. Quite cool to see really.

I don't think it was attached to the clown for more than a few hours. Several weeks on the fish is suffering no ill side effects.

In reading about isopods in the links you guys have provided, I came across anecdotal evidence that cleaner shrimps help with the control of smaller isopods. Having seen mine do this first hand, I can vouch that this definitely appears to be the case!

I've seen no other isopods since....... yet!!!..........