Lice

Fish Lice or Fish Louse
Visible Symptoms: Fish lice, or fish louse, are flat-bodied crustaceans that can measure up to 10 mm in diameter. They will swim up to a fish, mostly slower moving fish, and attach itself to the fish's body by two suckers.

Fish Lice - Also known as Argulus, fish lice, looking like transparent flat disks, attach themselves to the skin and suck on the fish's blood. The fish feels itchy and scratches itself on the substrate or on rocks and other hard décor.

Fish lice, and other foods
Behavior: Facultative cleaner of Argulus (parasitic crustaceans) from large Bagrus catfish. Also eats other, varied foods including Bagrus eggs.
Coloration: Distinctive "bumblebee" colors may advertise cleaning service.

Kathy Olson wrote: > > Marco, > > On one of the apisto's we collected (mostly all one site) there is > something that looks like fin lice. Small 1/2 cm tan cylindrical things > attached to the dorsal and anal fins of the apisto's.

Fish Lice (_Argulus_) Causative Agent: This parasitic crustacean, _Argulus_, walks about on the outside of tropical fish and goldfish, piercing the skin and sucking blood and tissue fluids.

In the wild they are known to clean large catfish of lice and the odd scale, they are also known for preying on the catfish eggs as well! ...

There are two groups of parasites that salt is ineffective against, the crustacean parasites, and Argulus (fish lice) and lernea (anchor worm). These are very difficult to eradicate due to elongated life cycle.

Any change in environment like physical damage, leaches, lice and introduction of new fish that is not quarantine could lead to stress in aquarium, thus making life non condusive for fish in aquarium tank ...

& Molluscs: The most commonly available live crustaceans include Brineshrimp/Artemia, Daphnia, Cyclops, and some of the larger groups include freshwater shrimps (ideal for larger fish) and crustaceans of the genus Asellus (water lice/hog lice).

Look For: Tiny white spots on body, tiny black spots on body, clamped fins, bloody fins, gray or gold dusty patches on body, rapid moving of the gills and visible worms or fish lice on the body.

A couple of the more common problems are Ich, Swim Bladder disease, and external parasites including flukes, lice and anchor worms. To learn about these and other diseases and how to treat them see: Aquarim Fish Diseases & Treatments.

FOOD: In Lake Malawi this fish often feeds off the lice of other fish. In an aquarium, the "usual" foods are accepted: Algae; Live foods; Artemia, Bloodworms, Daphnia, insect larvae, Tubifex, snails; vegetables; spinach, peas.

See also: Fish, Water, Aquarium, Species, Diseases