Tongue Eating Isopods found in Clownfish at Lembeh

[ThRoewer]

It seems clownfish and other reef fish can be affected by these creepy parasites as well:

Crazy Tongue Eating Isopods Found in Lembeh!

"... that as high as 90% of fish on one carpet anemone can have this parasite. They have also been seen in the Spinecheek and Clarks Anemone fish as well. ..."

I guess I'm gonna have a closer look at all my fish when I move them to the new tank - the last thing I would want is a system infected with this critter...

Tongue-Eating Fish Parasites Never Cease to Amaze

 

[m0nkie]

Nope nope nope nope..

I will sell all my fish and run an anemone only tank if i ever catch one of these...

 

[addictedreefer]

From what I have read, the tongue parasites are not all that detrimental to healthy fish. In fact, they typically replace and function just as well as a tongue, allowing the fish to lead a normal life. It is in this parasite's best interest to not kill its host.

 

[ThRoewer]

There are studies that show that they are detrimental to the health of fish - after all they are bloodsuckers. Also, the males are living in and feeding on the gills of the affected fish, which most definitely causes harm.

 

[Winwood]

I remember an old article mentioning these. It might have been Aquarium Fish Magazine or Tropical Fish Hobbiest. Anyways, I was aware of wild clowns hosting them and in all my years going to wholesalers and ordering WC fish I have never seen one. This leads me to the conclusion that they are relatively rare.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

When I lived in New Orleans we would fish Lake Pontchartrain every weekend for Jack Crevelle and would catch threadfin shad for bait. Just about everyone of them had these in their mouth.

 

[ThRoewer]

I remember an old article mentioning these. It might have been Aquarium Fish Magazine or Tropical Fish Hobbiest. Anyways, I was aware of wild clowns hosting them and in all my years going to wholesalers and ordering WC fish I have never seen one. This leads me to the conclusion that they are relatively rare.

I do not think that they are rare from how easily they can be found at the local fish markets. I rather think that the fish that are infected with these have a much lower chance of surviving the ordeals of being caught and shipped half around the world.
There is also the possibility that certain areas are more affected than others. But it seems these guys are on the rise due to human influences.

 

[Winwood]

I do not think that they are rare from how easily they can be found at the local fish markets. I rather think that the fish that are infected with these have a much lower chance of surviving the ordeals of being caught and shipped half around the world.
There is also the possibility that certain areas are more affected than others. But it seems these guys are on the rise due to human influences.

Rare as in the hobby not wild was what I was referring to.

 

[ThRoewer]

Obviously some make it here:

I ordered 3 flasher wrasses and a Copperband Butterfly from Bluezoo. All 4 fish were placed in QT. The Copperband didn't make it through the night and Bluezoo provided me with store credit. Unfortunately, one of the wrasses unexpectedly died today and when I pulled him out of the QT tank I noticed something in his mouth. I got a pair of tweezers and this is what I found!! Can someone ID this critter?

That's one of these suckers.

 

[Randyp79]

Found it...

Cymothoa exigua