External parasite on Tang ID support (Please)

[bnord]

Folks,
sorry to say that as a retired Veterinary Parasitologist I cannot give a better diagnosis than, it seems to be a trematode.... But I don't know

18 month old Vlamingi that has been in the tank since it was tiny. No fish have been added to the tank for more or less 6 months, and that was a QT'd CB yellow tang, except a captive bred file fish that was in QT for 21 days, and I was just this week.

The Vlamingi has out grown the tank and I was about to fish box catch and re-home, as it has started to bump up against rock; thought at first the blemish was a scratch. they appear to have a single attachment point and otherwise flow with his direction

By the way, he seems for the first time on his life to have lost a little tone on his back. But eating like a Vlamingi

So now I do not want to re-home till he is clean.

Have a 20 hospital tank, that I do not believe will be sound husbandry based on size and activity level.

ideas?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Folks,
sorry to say that as a retired Veterinary Parasitologist I cannot give a better diagnosis than, it seems to be a trematode.... But I don't know

18 month old Vlamingi that has been in the tank since it was tiny. No fish have been added to the tank for more or less 6 months, and that was a QT'd CB yellow tang, except a captive bred file fish that was in QT for 21 days, and I was just this week.

The Vlamingi has out grown the tank and I was about to fish box catch and re-home, as it has started to bump up against rock; thought at first the blemish was a scratch. they appear to have a single attachment point and otherwise flow with his direction

By the way, he seems for the first time on his life to have lost a little tone on his back. But eating like a Vlamingi

So now I do not want to re-home till he is clean.

Have a 20 hospital tank, that I do not believe will be sound husbandry based on size and activity level.

ideas?

Would love to offer input but without pictures under white lighting, will be hard to assess what you may have

 

[bnord]

Would love to offer input but without pictures under white lighting, will be hard to assess what you may have

thought the picture was in there - edited it in

 

[vetteguy53081]

Folks,
sorry to say that as a retired Veterinary Parasitologist I cannot give a better diagnosis than, it seems to be a trematode.... But I don't know

18 month old Vlamingi that has been in the tank since it was tiny. No fish have been added to the tank for more or less 6 months, and that was a QT'd CB yellow tang, except a captive bred file fish that was in QT for 21 days, and I was just this week.

The Vlamingi has out grown the tank and I was about to fish box catch and re-home, as it has started to bump up against rock; thought at first the blemish was a scratch. they appear to have a single attachment point and otherwise flow with his direction

By the way, he seems for the first time on his life to have lost a little tone on his back. But eating like a Vlamingi

So now I do not want to re-home till he is clean.

Have a 20 hospital tank, that I do not believe will be sound husbandry based on size and activity level.

ideas?

Yikes- looks like parasitical worms- don’t believe isopods.
I have a work meeting very shortly. Will get back to you
@Jay Hemdal

 

[vetteguy53081]

Folks,
sorry to say that as a retired Veterinary Parasitologist I cannot give a better diagnosis than, it seems to be a trematode.... But I don't know

18 month old Vlamingi that has been in the tank since it was tiny. No fish have been added to the tank for more or less 6 months, and that was a QT'd CB yellow tang, except a captive bred file fish that was in QT for 21 days, and I was just this week.

The Vlamingi has out grown the tank and I was about to fish box catch and re-home, as it has started to bump up against rock; thought at first the blemish was a scratch. they appear to have a single attachment point and otherwise flow with his direction

By the way, he seems for the first time on his life to have lost a little tone on his back. But eating like a Vlamingi

So now I do not want to re-home till he is clean.

Have a 20 hospital tank, that I do not believe will be sound husbandry based on size and activity level.

ideas?

Looking further, these are
Dactylogyrus trematodes which
are a type of fluke or flatworm, but not one that we encounter every day. The usual treatments for flukes like Prazipro, General Cure, Freshwater dips and Formalin will all work for this.
Prsxi will be 2 eight day treatments and ruby rally pro, which is reef safe will also work

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Folks,
sorry to say that as a retired Veterinary Parasitologist I cannot give a better diagnosis than, it seems to be a trematode.... But I don't know

18 month old Vlamingi that has been in the tank since it was tiny. No fish have been added to the tank for more or less 6 months, and that was a QT'd CB yellow tang, except a captive bred file fish that was in QT for 21 days, and I was just this week.

The Vlamingi has out grown the tank and I was about to fish box catch and re-home, as it has started to bump up against rock; thought at first the blemish was a scratch. they appear to have a single attachment point and otherwise flow with his direction

By the way, he seems for the first time on his life to have lost a little tone on his back. But eating like a Vlamingi

So now I do not want to re-home till he is clean.

Have a 20 hospital tank, that I do not believe will be sound husbandry based on size and activity level.

ideas?

I think these are scratches/scrapes, not parasites. They are localized, and seem to have granulomatous tissue around each lighter area. Trematodes would be more spread out, and not localized like that. That said - it is sometimes seen that a fish will scratch itself to the point of irritating the skin, due to some parasite. In this case, the fish could have gill flukes that are causing it to scratch its operculum. Two things would rule that out: if you haven't seen the fish scratching/flashing, and then again, flukes would be in both gills, not just one side.

Jay

 

[bnord]

Thanks and appreciate the insight
The Dactylogyrus reports and pictures I saw were clearly trailing from inside the gill covers - these are external
He has not been rubbing or flashing- but has been dramatically bolting when surprised lately
That and the fact that the only 2 fish added in last 6 months were CB and QTd at that, though not treated with anthelmentics
Last night one of the trailers was gone and waiting for lights this am -

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks and appreciate the insight
The Dactylogyrus reports and pictures I saw were clearly trailing from inside the hill covers - these are external
He has not been rubbing or flashing- but has been dramatically bolting when surprised lately
That and the fact that the only 2 fish added in last 6 months were CB and QTd at that, though not treated with anthelmentics
Last night one of the trailers was gone and waiting for lights this am -

There are three common "fluke" monogenean parasites;

Dactylogyrids - usually gill parasites of FW fish, egg laying
Gyrodactylids - very common skin and gill dwelling live bearing fluke
Capsalid - Neobenedenia, very large skin fluke, egg layer

I've never seen ANY flukes directly on a fish except Neobenedenia, and then, only when it starts to hang off the fish due to some treatment. All of the other flukes are too small and too clear to see. As I said though, you can sometimes see the damage they are doing to the skin.

I suspect that what you saw hanging off the lesions was mucus, or bacteria and mucus.

Jay

 

[bnord]

Thank you Jay and today's full light report is tissue appears to be healing and nothing dangling

he is now being accustomized to the catch box, and will send him to the 350G at the LFS beyond...

will miss him dearly - 3X the personality of the wife's cat